New Contestants On the Turing Test

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday October 8, 2008 @03:15AM from the game-on dept.

vitamine73 writes "At 9 a.m. next Sunday, six computer programs — 'artificial conversational entities' — will answer questions posed by human volunteers at the University of Reading in a bid to become the first recognized 'thinking' machine. If any program succeeds, it is likely to be hailed as the most significant breakthrough in artificial intelligence since the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. It could also raise profound questions about whether a computer has the potential to be 'conscious' — and if humans should have the 'right' to switch it off."

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Re:Reach for the switch... by RManning · 2008-10-08 03:41 · Score: 0, Redundant

Is there a class of scientists getting paranoid that hamsters might take over the world if we let our guard down?!
Don't kid yourself hobbit. If a hamster could, it would kill you and everyone you care about.
Re:Reach for the switch... by kalirion · 2008-10-08 06:43 · Score: 1, Redundant

Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology. -Larry Niven