Leibniz's binary system and the I Ching: forgotten China-West links behind AI

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is often seen as a sudden modern breakthrough, but its roots lie in a centuries-old intellectual exchange between China and the West. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the German philosopher and mathematician, created a binary mathematical system using only digits 0 and 1 while designing a mechanical calculator. He struggled to convince his European peers of its significance. This binary system later became foundational for computing and AI. The connection traces back to the I Ching, an ancient Chinese divination text that uses binary-like hexagrams. Leibniz was aware of the I Ching and saw parallels with his own work, highlighting a deep, often overlooked link between Chinese civilization and Western scientific thinking.