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A man provided with paper, pencil, and rubber, and subject to strict discipline, is in effect a universal machine.

Alan Turing

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Alan Turing
Age: 41 †
Born: 1912
Born: June 23
Died: 1954
Died: June 7
Artificial Intelligence Researcher
Computer Scientist
Cryptographer
Logician
Marathon Runner
Mathematician
Statistician
University Teacher
Warrington Lodge Medical and Surgery Home for Ladies
Alan M. Turing
Alan Mathieson Turing
Turing
Alan Mathison Turing
Subject
Rubber
Discipline
Pencil
Universal
Pencils
Subjects
Strict
Paper
Provided
Effects
Machine
Men
Effect
Machines

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No, I'm not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I'm after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.
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Do you know why people like violence? It is because it feels good. Humans find violence deeply satisfying. But remove the satisfaction, and the act becomes hollow.
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We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge.
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In attempting to construct such (artificially intelligent) machines we should not be irreverently usurping His (God's) power of creating souls, any more than we are in the procreation of children,” Turing had advised. “Rather we are, in either case, instruments of His will providing mansions for the souls that He creates.
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If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent.
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Unless in communicating with it one says exactly what one means, trouble is bound to result.
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Instead of trying to produce a programme to simulate the adult mind, why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child's? If this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education one would obtain the adult brain.
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We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.
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The original question, 'Can machines think?' I believe to be too meaningless to deserve discussion.
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Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.
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A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human.
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A very large part of space-time must be investigated, if reliable results are to be obtained.
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The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer.
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When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first... Of course, to observe is not its real duty, we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed...Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious.
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My little computer said such a funny thing this morning.
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