AI as the Imitation Game

What does it really mean for a machine to "think"? In this episode, Mat and Phil explore the life and legacy of pioneering mathematician Alan Turing, whose work laid the foundation for modern computing and artificial intelligence. From the origins of the Turing Test to whether ChatGPT has truly passed it, the hosts unpack how Turing's ideas provide a valuable framework for thinking critically about GenAI, human communication, and language learning. They also encourage educators to experiment with GenAI tools, reflect on their own interactions with them, and consider both their capabilities and limitations.

In this episode:

• Alan Turing (1936), On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem. Available at https://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/Turing_Paper_1936.pdf
• Alan Turing (1950), Computing Machinery and Intelligence. Available at https://courses.cs.umbc.edu/471/papers/turing.pdf
• The Imitation Game (2014), film directed by Morten Tyldum.
• John Searle's Chinese Room. Available at https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil201/Searle.pdf