The pioneering mathematician and computer scientist’s views were ahead of their time.
What would Alan Turing have made of our ever-present discussions on AI today?
Despite the staggering leaps in computing technology witnessed since Turing’s time and its growth in society – from specialist scientific and mathematical calculator to near-ubiquitous universal tool extending human capabilities – the topics on everyone’s lips today regarding AI were ones Turing would not only be familiar with, but be able to contribute to insightfully. Are machines (LLMs) becoming so human-like and useful in their responses that they will replace many roles? Can machines (AI) solve all of mathematics? And will machines (AI) develop superhuman capabilities?
The eerily prescient thoughts of Alan Turing, the visionary who laid the foundations of computer science, remain remarkably relevant to today’s discussions concerning AI.
Journalist and HLFF Blog contributor Ben Skuse looks at past Turing writings to get a sense of what his stance today would have been. Check out Turing’s Two Penn’orth on Today’s AI Talking Points at the HLFF Blog
Image caption: Statue of Alan Turing at Bletchley Park. Image credit: Jon Callas (CC-BY-2.0)