Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Technology => Topic started by: thedoc on 20/06/2014 12:31:55
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This week a computer program reportedly passed the ‘Turing test’ for the first time, tricking people into believing it is human. This was part of a competition run by Reading University to commemorate the 60th anniversary of death of the test’s creator: Alan Turing. Here is your Quick Fire Science on the Turing test...
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You could have an intelligent machine that fails to pass the Turing Test despite being more intelligent than a human because it does not attempt to hide its superior intelligence. The ideal test to detect when a machine reaches or surpasses a human level of intelligence should not rule such a machine (one which does not hide its intelligence) to have fallen short, so the Turing Test is clearly not ideal.
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The Turing test is simply a test of whether a computer can adequately simulate a human - a remarkably difficult task becaise like all other animals, we are very adept at recognising our own species and detecting aliens. Intelligence is something quite different: call it constructive laziness or the ability to surprise your interlocutor, and it's quite likely that most well-programmed PCs are more intelligent than most humans.