The AI revolution did not start with ChatGPT. It started with GPT-3 in 2020 and accelerated through transformer scaling, instruction tuning, tool use, and finally autonomous agents.
This piece is the definitive UK-focused timeline of the cognitive automation decade — every milestone that mattered, what it enabled, and what each unlocked for business.
Forward-looking section covers 2026–2030 and the agent-native enterprise.