Turing/Searle AI Paper Assignment

Choose one of these paper assignments:

1) Turing Test: In this famous article, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, A.M. Turing argues 1) "in about fifty years' time it will be possible, to programme computers, with a storage capacity of about 10⁹, to make them play the imitation game so well that an average interrogator will not have more than 70 per cent chance of making the right identification after five minutes of questioning." and 2) "at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted." 1), as it turns out, is false. It is now 2020 and we do not yet have machines that can reliably pass the test at the 70% level. 2), as it turns out, is true. It is quite common for us all to talk about our phones, computers, and software as "thinking" when they are performing their computational functions.

Write a paper in which you A) explore what would be required for an artificial system to succeed at the task in 1). You might consider IBM's Watson, chatbots, AlphaGo, or other recent AI systems. What sorts of tasks or functions would be required to reliably pass the test against a clever interrogator? B) Now argue for a position regarding this claim: An artificial system that passes the Turing Test understands the conversation, it is thinking, and as a result, it has a mind or some form of rudimentary consciousness.

Your paper should start with a brief description of the Turing Test and a clear statement of the argumentative thesis you will be arguing for in the Introduction. In the Expository section of your paper, you should address A) thoroughly and thoughtfully. In the Critical Evaluation section of your paper, you should develop a thoughtful argument for the conclusion that you want to draw concerning B).

2) Searle's Chinese Room: Critics have given several types of response to Searle's Chinese Room argument--the Virtual Mind response, the Robot Reply, the Systems Reply, and so on. Make a case for what you think is the strongest objection to Searle's argument that the Chinese Room doesn't understand the story. Develop the objections to make them as strong as possible. You can argue that the objection succeeds against Searle's position, or that ultimately it fails. Consider the developments we have seen in artificial neural networks that have strikingly different properties from GOFAI systems. Does Searle's argument work against ANN systems? Cite your sources for the reply, develop the argument on their behalf, and even develop your own reply to Searle if you choose. If you think that even the strongest objection to Searle does not succeed in disproving his conclusion, then argue for that and defend Searle's argument.

In your exposition, you will need to give a clear, accurate, concise explanation of Searle's argument, and the best development and explanation of the objection to Searle that you can. Then, in the critical evaluation section, you should argue that the objection succeeds or fails, explain why, and expand on your own argumentative thesis about the matter.

Your paper should conform specifically to the standards described here: How to Analyze a Philosophical Essay

And your paper should conform to the Philosophy Department Writing Guidelines. Put your paper in your last name Artificial Intelligence Google Doc with the title: Turing Test Paper. It should be at least 800 words long, and free of spelling, grammar, and structure errors. See the Philosophy Department Writing Guidelines for details.