The integration of artificial intelligence into computational mechanics marks a significant shift in problem-solving approaches for physics and engineering. This chapter outlines the historical development of artificial intelligence from its early stages to applications in computational mechanics. Judging by the growing body of scientific literature, artificial intelligence, and its subtopics form a recent yet important part of research within simulation disciplines. Despite this hype, not only the potential but also the challenges are highlighted through a realistic perspective on the capabilities of neural networks. The chapter serves as an introduction to the book’s key motivations, foundational concepts, and scope.