Humans Versus Machines
Compare people and computers on particular tasks, including calculation, storage, repetition, creativity and care. Introduce a simplified text-chat Turing Test and the limits of its conclusions.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Describe human care and judgement, and recognize that AI can also produce stories and pictures
- Give examples of computers calculating quickly, storing information and repeating tasks without boredom while still needing electricity
- Describe a simplified Turing Test and explain why human-sounding replies do not prove human feelings
1 · Read
You have learned that computers can learn patterns from examples. They can also add long lists of numbers quickly, store information and repeat tasks without feeling bored. They still need electricity and working equipment. How well a person or computer does depends on the task.
People create stories, use everyday judgement and care about others. AI can also produce new stories and pictures. Friendly or sad words from a computer do not show that it feels those emotions. There is no established evidence that today's AI feels sadness or care as people do.
Read a chart's names and numbers before comparing results. A larger number means more. To find how many more, subtract the smaller number from the larger. This made-up copying test has results of 5 and 8 correct copies. The gap is 8 minus 5, or 3.
In a simplified Turing Test, a judge types questions to two hidden partners: a person and a computer. The judge reads their replies and tries to tell them apart. If the judge cannot tell in that chat, the computer sounded human to that judge. This does not prove human feelings or skill at every task.
Compare people and computers on a particular task. AI can produce stories, but human-sounding words do not prove human feelings.
What did the comparison test? was written for this dataset. Linked video: The Turing test: Can a computer pass for a human?, by Alex Gendler for TED-Ed. Video reuse terms are unverified.
More to read
What did the comparison test?
A club wants to add a long list of scores. A computer can do the arithmetic quickly. A person decides which scores belong in the list and checks whether the total makes sense. These are different jobs.
People create stories and care about friends. AI can produce new stories too, including messages that sound caring. The words may be useful without establishing that the program experiences care.
A conversation tests something different from adding scores. In a simplified Turing Test, a judge sends typed questions to a hidden person and a hidden computer. The judge tries to identify them from their replies.
Suppose the judge cannot tell them apart in that chat. That tells us about how the replies sounded to that judge. It does not establish whether the computer feels emotions, can repair a bicycle or always gives accurate answers. Before drawing a conclusion, name the task and check what the result actually shows.
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2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.