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From: mojo@reed.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: The Turing Test
Message-ID: <7470@reed.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 10-Oct-87 00:26:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: reed.7470
Posted: Sat Oct 10 00:26:24 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Oct-87 21:52:29 EDT
References: <6413@apple.UUCP> <3099@uwmcsd1.UUCP> <285@amethyst.UUCP>
Reply-To: mojo@reed.UUCP (oh, nobody in particular)
Organization: Are you kidding?
Lines: 15
Keywords: AI Turing


Someone asked about the Turing test; given the direction of discussion here,
it seems like it might be a good thing to have posted.  In a nutshell, the
Turing test consists of a setup with a human, a computer, and an observer
hooked up to both of them through some sort of electronic network (or some
such--the point is the observer can't tell which is which).  The computer and
the human both try to persuade the observer that they are the human; if the
computer can do it, it's intelligent.

I don't agree with this in an idealistic sense, but it sounds like a pretty
good acid test.

	"A variable is a thing which varies."  -- my Poli Sci prof
	Nathan Tenny
	{tektronix || ogcvax}!reed!mojo