The Turing Test: The Fine Line Between AI and Human Minds
Has anyone seen the movie The Imitation Game? Well, the film centres around a mathematician and codebreaker who, during World War II, races against time to crack the German Enigma code - his name was Alan Turing and during his research he conceptualised the Turing Test which has become extremely relevant with modern AI advancements.
The Turing Test was introduced in his 1950 paper, "Computing Machinery and Intelligence." The test is designed to assess a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior, which is indistinguishable from that of a human.
In the Turing Test, a human judge engages in a conversation with two entities - one human and one machine - via a text-based interface, without knowing which is which. If the judge cannot reliably distinguish the machine from the human based on their responses, the machine is said to have passed the Turing Test, demonstrating a level of AI) that closely resembles human thinking.
Source: Turing, A. M. (1950). Computing machinery and intelligence. Mind, 59(236), 433-460.
In modern times, the Turing Test has been used as a benchmark for AI research and as a way to inspire advancements in natural language processing, machine learning, and human-computer interaction. While the original Turing Test is rarely used as a formal evaluation method today, variations and inspired challenges have emerged to assess AI systems.
Now if we apply this in a modern context there are two models that have reportedly passed the Turing Test:
OpenAI’s ChatGPT became the second AI chatbot to pass the Turing Test.
Google’s LaMDA was the first chatbot to pass the Turing test last summer.
Note that no AI has officially and universally been accepted as having passed the Turing Test.
Source: https://www.mlyearning.org/chatgpt-passes-turing-test/
Implications in Business:
Chatbots and Outbound Sales Messaging: it is becoming more difficult to identify the difference between human and AI interactions. Just this week, I messaged a new connection on LinkedIn, and they asked me to prove I wasn't a robot. I promptly sent a voice message, as I don't think AI bots have caught up with that capability yet. However, with the Turing Test passed, realistically outbound messaging bots and website messaging services can be AI driven without the end user knowing...scary. In business, to provide exemplary service, it's paramount to demonstrate that you're human when establishing first connections.
Human versus AI Service: is it now reasonable to run outbound and 'customer service' services using AI generated content or will that be seen as unethical in the modern business realm? If you bought a product for $1000.00 like an online course and then come to realise later that you were interacting with an AI model does that decrease the product's value? Personally, I think that human to human interaction is so important as building relationships go beyond transactional conversation.
AI in business brings both opportunities and challenges. AI's potential to improve decision-making, optimise processes, and enhance customer experiences can lead to increased efficiency, innovation, and growth however there is a big but...
But only if it is used ethically.
But only if it is not abused
But only if ethical concerns are navigated.
But only if there is transparency.
The next can of worms to open up is around job displacement and industries that will be affected by new AI driven resources. That'll be in next week's article!
This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT.
