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Computing Machinery And Intelligence Argument Essay

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In this section of the paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence”, Turing discuss about nine opposing arguments for the original question “Can machines think?” 1. Theological Objection The objection states "Thinking is a function of man's immortal soul that God has given. Hence no machine can think". Turing responds to this in theological terms saying if god is so powerful, he can surely confer a soul into anything. With our present knowledge, such an argument appears futile. 2. 'Heads in the Sand' Objection The objection states, "The consequences of machines thinking would be too dreadful. Let us hope and believe that they cannot do so." This is expressed as having similar argument as the theological objection. Turing refutes this argument …show more content…

Turing uses Gödel's incompleteness theorem and results in theory of computation to prove this argument. Turing argues that even though the machines have limitations, this limitation does not apply for human intellectual. Also, he believed that those with Mathematical objections would mostly accept the imitation game as a basis for discussion. 4. Argument from Consciousness This argument is about emotions. The objection states that machines can never experience emotions or feelings like a human can. Turing responds to this saying we have no way to know whether any other individual experience emotions other than ourselves. 5. Arguments from Various Disabilities This objection states there are many things that a machine will never be able to do. One of the statements proposed was that “Machines cannot make mistakes” Turing stated that we can program the machine to pretend to make mistakes. Some more unsupported statements were proposed under this argument. Turing opposed all of those. 6. Lady Lovelace's Objection The objection states that, Machines cannot originate anything. It can only do what we order it to perform. Turing replied that computers could still surprise humans when the consequences of different facts are hard to recognize. 7. Argument from continuity in the nervous

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