The history of computing is divided into periods which are numbered from 1 to 5. The third generation was from 1965-1975 and included Minicomputers and integrated circuits, while the 4th generation was from 1975-1990 and included microcomputers and CPUs. The fifth, and last computer generation, was never established because its the AI revolution in which computers are able to think by its own.
To explain this last 5th generation in computer there is a need to give an overview over the precursor which is a classic example of computing. Most developments availale today have its origin in the 4th computer generation. It can be shown best for the mid 1990s in which most of today's technology was available already for example powerful 32bit cpu, GUI operating systems and of course the World wide web.
Even advanced subjects in computing like the MPEG-1 standard for audio and video compression was available in the mid 1990s. Modern innovation like large DRAM chips, hard drives, color monitors and the ethernet standard was available too. On the software side, all the powerful tools like C++ compilers, UNIX compatible operating systems, and multitasking ability were invented in the mid 1990s. So we can say, that the 4th computer generation from 1975-1990 is equal to modern computing. Its hard or even impossible to find major technology innovation not available in the mid 1990s already.
The 4th computer generation is important from a historic perspective because it contains of all the elements in computing. The idea is to built a machine, called the computer, which contains of input devices like keyboard and mouse, add a display to the device and process information on the motherboard with electronic circuits. Such a machine can be programmed for any task because its a universal computer. The concept was available before the year 1975 as a theory, but it took until around 1995, until all the hardware and software was widespread available. Its not possible to develop this principle further, but the mid 1990s are the end of the development. What was developed from 1995 until 2025 was only a small improvement to the general principle. For example, the hardware was made more energy efficient, and the C++ language standard was improved in minor elements.
A high end workstation from 1995 which was equipped with mpeg capabilites and plugged into the internet of the past, looks pretty similar to a today's PC available in most households. Such a computer can playback video, can be utilized to type in documents and has access to the World wide web.
From a birds eye perspective, the computer generation are describing certain sort of computers. A 4th generation is equal to a Personal computer, the 3th generation was equal to a mini computer, the 2th generation to main frame programmed in fortran, and the first generation was equal to mechanical computers.
Before its possible to invent the 5th computer generation which consists of robotics and Artificial Intelligence there is need to describe what a robot is about. At least in the year 1995 nobody was able to define the term precisly. The problem has to do with the self undertanding of computer science which is about hardware, software and computer networks. The hardware is connected to a computer network with ethernet cables, on a single computer there runs the software, but it remains unclear where the Artifiial Intelligence is located.
Sometimes it was assumed, that AI is located in the software as a certain sort of algorithm. On the other hand, there are no such algorithms available to realize artificial intelligence so the definition isn't valid. A possible starting point to describe the transition from 4th to 5th computer generation is to investigate what AI is not about.
A common assumption in the 1990s was that a teleoperated robot is an antipattern, because such a system wasn't controlled by a computer and it can't be called intelligent. Such an understanding gives a first hint what AI is about. It has to do with the difference between man and machine. A man is intelligent because a man can solve problems and control a car, while a computer isn't intelligent.
A possible working thesis is, that AI can't be reduced to hardware+software but AI has to do with man to machine communication. Or to be more precisely, its a man to machine communication based on natural language. A high level interface results into a working robot. Such a robot is able to solve tasks and its even possible to automate the task, so that no human operator is needed anymore.
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