“Computing Machinery and Intelligence” is a seminal 1950 paper by Alan Turing, published in the journal Mind. It introduced the famous “Turing Test” for machine intelligence and laid the philosophical groundwork for the field of artificial intelligence.
The Question
Turing opens with one of the most famous questions in computing: “Can machines think?” Rather than debate the meaning of “think,” he proposes replacing this question with a more precise behavioral test.
The Imitation Game
Turing describes what he calls “the imitation game,” now known as the Turing Test[1]:
A human interrogator communicates via text with two hidden entities—one human, one machine. Through conversation, the interrogator tries to determine which is which. If the machine can consistently fool interrogators into thinking it’s human, Turing argues, we should consider it intelligent.
This operationalized the question of machine intelligence: rather than defining consciousness, we can test for indistinguishable behavior.
Objections and Replies
Turing anticipates and addresses nine objections to machine intelligence:
- The Theological Objection: Thinking is a function of the soul
- The “Heads in the Sand” Objection: The consequences would be too dreadful
- The Mathematical Objection: Gödel’s incompleteness limits machines
- The Argument from Consciousness: Machines can’t truly feel
- Arguments from Various Disabilities: Machines can’t do X (fall in love, etc.)
- Lady Lovelace’s Objection: Machines can only do what they’re programmed to do
- The Argument from Continuity: The nervous system is not discrete
- The Argument from Informality of Behavior: Humans don’t follow rules
- The Argument from Extrasensory Perception: Telepathy might exist
Turing’s responses remain influential in AI philosophy today[2].
Predictions
Turing made specific predictions about the future:
“I believe that in about fifty years’ time it will be possible to programme computers… to make them play the imitation game so well that an average interrogator will not have more than 70 percent chance of making the right identification after five minutes of questioning.”
This prediction has been approximately borne out by modern large language models.
Legacy
The paper founded the field of artificial intelligence as a serious scientific endeavor:
- Established behavioral testing as a methodology for AI research
- Framed key philosophical questions that still drive the field
- Coined concepts used in AI discourse for 75+ years
- Influenced the 1956 Dartmouth Conference that named the field “Artificial Intelligence”
The Turing Test remains the most famous benchmark for machine intelligence, even as researchers debate its adequacy[3].
Sources
- Turing, A.M. “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.” Mind, 1950. The original paper.
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. “The Turing Test.” Philosophical analysis of Turing’s arguments.
- Wikipedia. “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.” Overview and legacy.