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Computing Machinery and Intelligence

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📜 Abstract

I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?' This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms 'machine' and 'think.' The expressions 'theological systems' and 'human behaviour' might also be discussed. The new form of the problem can be described in terms of a game which we call the 'imitation game.' This game is played with three people, a man (A), a woman (B), and an interrogator (C) who may be of either sex. The interrogator stays in a room apart from the other two. The object of the game for the interrogator is to determine which of the other two is the man and which is the woman. He knows them by labels X and Y, and at the end of the game he says either 'X is A and Y is B' or 'X is B and Y is A.' The interrogator is allowed to put questions to A and B. It is A's object in the game to cause C to make the wrong identification. The object of the game for the third player (B) is to help the interrogator. We now ask the question, 'What will happen when a machine takes the part of A in this game?' Will the interrogator decide wrongly as often as when the game is played between a man and a woman? These questions replace our original, 'Can machines think?'

✨ Summary

Alan Turing’s 1950 paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” is foundational in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive sciences. In this work, Turing introduced the concept of the ‘Imitation Game,’ which later became known as the Turing Test, a criterion to evaluate a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to or indistinguishable from that of a human. His paper delved into the philosophical implications of machine intelligence and proposed criteria for machine thinking, impacting the way researchers and organizations approached AI.

While this paper did not initiate immediate technological applications in 1950, it laid the theoretical groundwork for AI research and ethical discussions surrounding machine intelligence and consciousness. Turing’s ideas continue to influence AI development and testing, notably in natural language processing and the creation of intelligent agents. His conceptualization of the Turing Test remains a benchmark in AI discourse.

Among various references to Turing’s work, a few significant ones include: 1. Copeland, B. J. (2004). The Essential Turing: Seminal Writings in Computing, Logic, Philosophy, Artificial Intelligence, and Artificial Life, plus the Secrets of Enigma. Clarendon Press. 2. Russell, S. J., & Norvig, P. (2009). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Pearson. 3. Franklin, S. (1995). Artificial Minds. MIT Press.

These citations reflect Turing’s ongoing influence in both academic research and practical applications within the AI community.