British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) was the father of computer science. He first proposed the idea of a "thinking" machine. Turing believed we would soon invent a machine that would equal our own intelligence.

THE TURING TEST
A Multimedia iBook

PSUEDO KHAN
A Conversational Program



DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How is human intelligence different from computer intelligence?
How does technology change the human social and psychological experience?
What will be the future challenges of human interactions with computers?


STUDENT QUOTES:

“Humans are becoming more and more attached to computers. The more computers there are, the more people seem to need them, or at least think that they need them. And as computers get more advanced, some people are even having a hard time telling the difference between computers and humans.”

“When I talked to the chat program, I felt like I was having a conversation with a real person. Technology has become so advanced that these programs can seem human. They can answer your questions, or even just talk to you like a friend.”

“After our class discussion I was convinced that the human brain was nothing more than an incredibly complex computer. But after speaking to the artificial computer programs, I noticed a key difference: They had no desires and no goals or ambitions for the future.”

“Computers may be able to say the same things as humans, but they don’t understand the words they say. They are simply programmed to say certain phrases. Humans think differently and can choose what they want to think. Humans can come up with new exciting ideas that are different from what anyone has thought before.”

“People are not just machines. We have too many emotions, too much strength and nobility and courage. These traits lead us to write great stories, act in plays, compose music, and everything else that stirs the feelings in our chests. That is what it means to be human.”