Who is credited as the first person to develop concepts used in modern computers?

The title of the first person to develop concepts that underpin modern computers is attributed to Charles Babbage. Babbage conceptualized and designed the Analytical Engine in the 1830s, which is recognized as the world's first mechanical computer. His design included fundamental components that are essential to today's computers, such as an arithmetic logic unit, control flow through conditional branching and loops, and the use of memory.

Babbage's work laid the groundwork for future advancements in computing, even though the technology to construct his mechanical designs did not exist at that time. His influence on the field is profound as he introduced ideas that would later be implemented in modern computer architecture. Other figures mentioned, such as Alan Turing, played crucial roles in the development of theoretical computing and algorithms, but it is Babbage's early contributions to the conceptual framework of computing that earn him this particular recognition.