Since Alan Turing’s pioneering paper in 1950, many have tried to define and demonstrate the limits of Artificial Intelligence. One widely accepted definition comes from philosopher John Searle, who defines AI as any system that exhibits intelligent behavior. Today, however, there are different definitions and ways of measuring whether a machine is truly thinking. Even if we agree that an AI must exhibit intelligence, does it need to be conscious? To answer this question, we first need to ask ourselves what we mean by consciousness. Can a computer have mental states like sadness, joy, fear, love, and pain? Do they feel anything at all? And if so, what about thoughts and memories? Does a program have feelings? How about dreams? What about self-awareness? Is it possible to create an AI that thinks like us? The answer lies in our current understanding of the brain, as well as the nature of computation itself.
Turing Test is a famous thought experiment about a hypothetical conversation between a man and a machine. For a machine to pass the test, the machine must demonstrate intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. The test involves posing questions to both the machine and the human, and observing whether the two parties answer differently. The aim is to determine if a machine can exhibit signs of consciousness. To date, few machines have succeeded in passing the test. However, modern technology means that a computer may soon be able to simulate human thinking to a certain degree.
Experimental set-up for a Turing test
1 Human questioner
2 Terminals to display responses
3 Barrier
4 Human answerer
5 Computer
6 Experiment controller relays either human or computer response
