Computer and Library Learning (Archived)

Many human beings have sought the answer to this question, including author Brian Christian in his book The most human human: what talking with computers teaches us about what it means to be alive (2011), available for a loan request from Toronto Public Library. Brian Christian has an undergraduate degree in computer science and philosophy and a MFA degree in poetry. Mr. Christian participated in the 2009 Turing Test under the auspices of The Loebner Prize in Artificial Intelligence. The test is named for the brilliant codebreaker, computer scientist and mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) who asked “Can a machine think?” but further added that if a computer’s responses were more or less the same as that of a human being, then the computer could be said to be “thinking”. Natural language processing is the name given to this field of study.

The computer that tricks the panel the most is awarded the Most Human-Like Computer Award. Alternatively and ironically, there is also a prize for the Most Human Human (which Brian Christian captured in 2009 as per the title of his book). Christian examines the history of artificial intelligence, and how computers have forced humans to examine what it means to be human by examining a variety of topics, including poetry, chess (including the 1997 match when supercomputer Deep Blue defeated World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov), existentialism, and unselfconsciousness. Christian takes a look at the layers of (often unhelpful) automated telephone customer service, only to reach a live operator afterwards with similar options and responses. This leads Brian Christian to conclude that if computers are getting better at imitating humans, then humans are getting worse in response. According to him, only humans can evaluate the qualitative response of an activity, while computers are restricted to quantitative evaluation. A computer that passes the Turing Test might invoke a good deal of self-evaluation amongst humankind.

You can watch this Microsoft Video and listen to Brian Christian discuss his book. His video address is visually accompanied by the text of his address to the right side of the video. Click on the following link to access the video:

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=146909

Or, listen to the podcast of the CBC Radio Program Spark as host Nora Young interviews Brian Christian about his book and the ways in which computers and humans are greatly different.

Please see also Brian Christian’s article Mind vs. Machine on the same subject published in the March 2011 issue of The Atlantic.