Artificial Intelligence (AI) research is intrinsically innovative and serves as a source of innovation for research and development in a variety of domains. There is an assumption that AI can be considered “revolutionary science” rather than “normal science.” Using a dataset of nearly 300,000 AI publications, this paper examines the co-citation dynamics of AI research and investigates its trajectory from the perspective of knowledge creation as a combinatorial process. We found that while the number of AI publications grew significantly, they largely follows a normal science trajectory characterized by incremental and cumulative advancements. AI research that combines existing knowledge in highly conventional ways is a substantial driving force in AI and has the highest scientific impact. Radically new ideas are relatively rare. By offering insights into the co-citation dynamics of AI research, this work contributes to understanding its evolution and guiding future research directions.