We can learn so much from how AI got here – A review of Rebels of Reason by John Willis with Derek Lewis

Much like the aliens in the sci-fi movie Arrival, AI has now arrived. Rebels of Reason tells us how AI arrived, and in doing so, provides us with a deeper understanding of AI. “We learn how foundational ideas have been refined over time, informing the rapid technological advances of our era”[1].

AI has been developed through a long history of technological innovation by people who questioned the frameworks they inherited. They were “rebels of reason”. Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace built on the work of earlier rebels, such as Blaise Pascal and George Boole. Their work enabled later ‘rebels of reason’ such as the Polish cryptologists who broke the Enigma codes, Alan Turing, Claude Shannon, Fei-Fei Li, the creators of ChatGPT and many others. 

“We have to stop using ourselves as the benchmark for thinking and realise we have created an alien intelligence”[1]. AI is a new form of intelligence. Instead of being frustrated when an AI hallucinates, we need to learn the language of AIs.  

Testing professionals need to develop an understanding of AI that will help us to test applications that use AI and utilise tools that incorporate AI. Reading Rebels of Reason enabled me to appreciate how useful it is to have an understanding of the history of AI, ”because it reveals the evolutionary path from early rule-based systems to the advanced models (often beyond human comprehension) we see today.”[1] I have learned about past successes and setbacks, which have helped me gain a better understanding of the rapid changes that we are living through.

Rebels of Reason was published yesterday. I read pre-publication versions of Rebels of Reason with John Willis as a member of the Profound Book Club. I would like to thank John Willis and the members of the Profound Book Club, from whom I learned a great deal while discussing the book.

Testing professionals will gain from reading Rebels of Reason. AI is here now. We all need to develop a deeper understanding of what AI is. Reading this book provided me with insights into how AI evolved, and through this, I gained a more profound understanding of what AI is.

References

[1] Rebels of Reason by John Willis with Derek Lewis (2025, Epilogue)

Further reading

Profound – Having intellectual depth and insight – John Willis’ blog

Buy the book:

Rebels of Reason: The Long Road from Aristotle to ChatGPT and AI’s Heroes Who Kept the Faith by John Willis with Derek Lewis