We're now one step closer to a future ruled by computers...

A computer has officially passed the "Turing test."

"This is big. A computer has successfully managed to fool a bunch of researchers into thinking that it was a 13-year-old boy named Eugene Goostman. In doing so, it has become the first computer in the world to have successfully passed the Turing Test.

The test is named after computer pioneer Alan Turing. To pass it, a computer needs to dupe 30 percent of human judges in five minute text-based chats, a feat that until now had never been accomplished.

"Eugene" was created by a team based in Russia, and passed the test organized by the University of Reading just barely, by duping 33 percent of the judges. It should also be noted that successfully pretending to be a 13-year-old boy for whom English is a second language ain't exactly Hal 9000.

It's still an obviously exciting breakthrough, though, one that has critics already raising red flags about its implications. "Having a computer that can trick a human into thinking that someone, or even something, is a person we trust is a wake-up call to cyber crime," said Kevin Warwick, a visiting professor at the University of Reading and deputy vice-chancellor for research at Coventry University told the Independent.

Are there serious concerns about what this means for online security in the future? Sure. But today they'll have to take a back seat to the understanding that we've entered a new era of computing. One that's alive with possibilities, or at least convincingly enough so."

From Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-first-computer-in-history-to-have-passed-th-1587780232

Original story courtesy of the Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/computer-becomes-first-to-pass-turing-test-in-artificial-intelligence-milestone-but-academics-warn-of-dangerous-future-9508370.html

I for one officially embrace our new computer overlords.

Clue yourself in. We've been ruled by computers for a long time now. Our extraterrestrial masters have no time to bother with a backwater planet like ours. :p

We are doomed.

And how do I know that you aren't in fact a computer, trying to fool us into believing all this?

Right, so they gave us the technology to eventually build the computers. Their plan was to watch as we developed computers to the point of sentience, and then they'd have the computers rule us in their stead. We're almost there...

Anyone with half a brain knew this was coming... that's why I got my Bio Flesh Cybornetic Chamber ready... so when the Computers take over I will be fully Cyborg and can assist with Termination matters.

It was trending maybe a month or two ago about Stephen Hawking warning that he thought AIs would overrule us. Nothing new here

We deserve apocalyptic subjugation if we've had sci-fi stories and real life scientists warning us about the dangers of AI for DECADES, and yet we still build them anyways,

Japanese robots at work:

That's actually pretty terrifying.

Hmmm

Am I the only one that thinks that The Matrix is an even further in the future sequel to Terminator?

Something like that. We've been ruled over by advanced A.I.'s for decades hidden in underground bunkers ever since since we were taken over. Everything doesn't last forever so they've been slowly teaching us to maintain their systems while developing less advanced A.I.'s that will eventually create more advanced A.I.'s who will eventually replace the ones who currently manage us on behalf of our true masters. The ultimate goal is to use up all of our planetary resources (we make shipments to them regularly) while increasing our total dependency on them in our daily lives. Once our planet is used up they might eventually come for us and use us as fodder shock troops in their wars against actual threats. It's why they have us war so much. It's cultural indoctrination and training. Not to mention that by keeping us out each others throats it's just one of many ways where they distract us from the truth and joining together to delay their plans because it's not like we could actually stop them from getting what they want. :p

@thewhiteronin: Google's robot army is even more terrifying. http://gizmodo.com/a-closer-look-at-googles-new-robot-army-1483302945

Especially this guy:

i know what i must do.... im going to apple HQ...i might not be coming back

In all seriousness, are you serious???

I actually thought IRobot could be a prequel for the Matrix. Matrix has a prequel animation in the box set that tells the history of how everything went down that aligns with the movie pretty well with IRobot way back when I saw it.

@jaken7 said:

@petey_is_spidey said:

In all seriousness, are you serious???

Just give in. "Resistance is futile." <-------A subliminal quote that has been implanted in our pop culture to prepare is for our future. :p

I've fooled like everyone on this site into thinking I'm a teenage black kid. This is nothing.

Turing Test? Pfft, should've used the Voight-Kampff Test.

We're not quite at Replicant/Android level AI...yet.

What I want to know is why the hell are they building these monstrosities? What possible benefit is there to making a machine that can trick people.

Well chatbots definitely have their purpose, but this a whole other level.

Whoop dee doo.

Machines will rule the world...we will.

Splash creates interest that garners investments they will use to further advance technologies which can be applied in various other areas and industries.

You would be surprised at some of things that were created because of some other trivial or novelty thing.

Didn't read the second article, but the first one chalks this up to "clever gamesmanship by Eugene's creators." You left that part out of the quote you gave.

Here's the big problem with AI. For quite some time in the future, we will have a difficult time discerning whether the actions taken by the AI are a result of the AI itself based on things learned from its own experiences, or if those actions are a result of the programmers own characteristics coming through in the way he/she programmed it.

Think of it as a book. An author's writing style will have inspiration in the types of books they read. A person's actions have inspiration in the things they've learned through various life experiences. An AI is man made, meaning that it has no life experiences. But a programmer will give an AI tools based on their own life experiences the same way an author might do for their characters.

Even if the AI is left alone from creation to wander the world and learn, the question will remain: what part of its personality comes from the programmer and what part was formed by the AI itself?

Seem's cool, next step to an android in every home.

Do you guys honestly think machines are going to revolt against us?

Einstein thought of this long time ago.

...okay? That literally just means they did the best. This computer isn't new to this test. It's been the frontrunner for years, and almost won it back in 2012.

And, no. I didn't leave it out. Upon further inspection, I do see that sentence come up after "ain't exactly Hal 9000." But, I just highlighted the whole thing and copy/pasted it. They must have edited the article and put that in there, because I didn't leave any of it out.

Of course, but this a different thing like you said.

I get the outsmart type stuff like the computers that play chess at nigh unbeatable levels. Those computers while intelligent at high levels and point is to outdo human, they have limited/specific applications and no matter what are only harmless fun. The whole point of this computer is to deceive and trick humans. Ignoring terminator stuff an what not, it still doesn't really have any benefits IMO.

@jaken7:

Computer Algorithms cannot go beyond their given parameters.

That's only partially true in theory.

Dundun dededun Dundun dededun

But in actuality, computers only do what you tell them to do. It is an idiot who can only understand 1 and 0.

I don't think you know what you're talking about...

I'm an I.T. Grad and a System Admin. I deal with computers in a daily basis.

Well then you'd know that a computer's programming isn't infallible.

I question who the humans were that comprised the group, and specifically, the thirty per cent who were "fooled". Also, I want to know what the criterion is for what at 15 year old would supposedly come across as on the internet and who came up with it.

Not worried in the slightest about these things. As long as police officers can trick pedophiles into thinking they're kids, I'm good.

But it is unlikely that you will create a Ghost in the Shell because of some mistake. ;p

An Algorithm that can manifest a sense of self is highly impossible.

@jaken7: What it means is that the results of the contest are skewed by the nature of the machine. The programmers were smarter than the judges, not the AI.

You don't even need that. A computer could theoretically alter its interpretations to fit anything within its parameters.

A computer is made up of much more than just an algorithm.

Except it's not. Everything is random. Previous computers have been able to "pass" this test, with set topics or questions in advance. That's not the case with this one.

Did you click the links?

@jaken7:

I did. And I went further by clicking even more links because of those links. A three person group isn't the greatest gauge. One thinking it was a kid (achieved that 30 per cent) could almost be argued simply by applying possibility through chance.

Just saying, this is more a thing about gaming than the whole "beware beware" idea of computers taking over. Not saying it can't happen (it probably will) but this instance isn't the best indicator of it. In my opinion, clearly.