The General Problem Solver introduced means-ends analysis

The General Problem Solver, created from 1957 onward by Allen Newell, J. C. Shaw, and Herbert Simon, introduced a technique called means-ends analysis. The program looked at the difference between its current state and the goal state, picked an operator that would reduce the most important difference, applied it, and set up sub-goals when an operator could not yet be used - working much the way a person plans a trip by closing the biggest part of the gap and repeating. That pattern, separating a goal from the current situation and choosing actions to close the gap, remains foundational in automated planning and is echoed in how modern AI agents break a task into steps.