C.2700 – 1800 BCE
Cuneiform
Fragment of a cuneiform tablet
from the ancient Near East.
An AutogenAI Exhibition
The Evolution of
Writing Technologies
From Cuneiform Tablets to Large Language Models
The evolution of writing technologies reveals stories of competition, secrecy, stability, portability, resistance, and acceptance.
LATE PERIOD 664 – 332 BCE
Papyrus
Ancient Egyptian papyrus fragments.
LATE PERIOD 664 – 332 BCE
Medieval Book of Hours
Original leaf from a French medieval
Book of Hours, Paris, France.
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Quill Pen
Quill Pen and ink pot.
PATENTED 1906
The Pencil
Simplex pencil sharpener No. 650,
Eagle Pencil Co., New York.
LATE 19TH CENTURY
Chalkboard
A Victorian child’s school chalkboard.
LATE 19TH CENTURY
The Fountain Pen
John Mitchell EF 047
fine point dip pen nib.
EARLY 20TH CENTURY
The Ballpoint Pen
Parker pen set.
EARLY 21ST CENTURY
Braille
HumanWare Brailliant BI32
braille keyboard.
C.1920s – 1930s
The Typewriter
Remington World Service
black portable typewriter.
1980s
The Word Processor
Amstrad PC 1512 DD with monitor, keyboard, system disk, WordStar, and reference books.
2025
Large Language Models
Laptop running AutogenAI.
Now, we’re writing the next chapter.
