New Delhi, Oct. 20 -- Harold Cohen didn't fit the mold of an AI pioneer. He wasn't a computer scientist. He wasn't a programmer. He was an artist - brilliant, world-renowned, and celebrated for his explosive use of color and bold compositions. In 1966, he represented Britain at the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious art events in the world. Cohen had arrived. He was at the top of his field.

But within two years, something shifted. In 1968, Cohen found himself on the other side of the world, at the University of California, San Diego - the very campus where, decades later, I sat in the audience, enthralled by his passion. It was there, almost by accident, that he stumbled into computer programming.

By 1971, at Stanford Universi...