The ACM A.M. Turing Award, often called the "Nobel Prize of Computing," was established in 1966 by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) to honor individuals for major and lasting contributions of a technical nature to the computing community. It was named after Alan Mathison Turing, the British mathematician and computer scientist widely regarded as the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. The award recognizes those who have created foundational systems and theoretical advancements that propelled the information technology industry.
The first Turing Award was given in 1966 to Alan J. Perlis for his influence on advanced programming techniques and compiler construction. Since then, the award has been presented annually to leading computer scientists and engineers whose work has significantly shaped computing. Over time, the monetary prize increased with support from corporate sponsors like Intel and Google, reaching $1 million since 2014.
The award celebrates Turing’s legacy by recognizing transformative achievements in computing that reflect his groundbreaking contributions during his lifetime, especially his work on the mathematical foundations of computing and AI.
