Alan Turing

Computer science, codebreaking

Modern influential 192 sayings

Sayings by Alan Turing

The machine can only do what we tell it to do. But what if we tell it to learn?

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, general implication from his writings on machine learning, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The human brain is a machine, and it can be simulated by another machine.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The problem of consciousness is a difficult one, and I do not have a solution to it.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, philosophical stance, hard to pin down exact wording/source.
Shocking Unverifiable

I see no reason why a machine should not be able to have emotions.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

If a machine can pass the Turing Test, then it is intelligent.

1950 (concept) — Paraphrase of the core idea of the Turing Test, often simplified. Not a direct quote in this precise…
Shocking Unverifiable

The problems of biology can be reduced to physics and chemistry.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, reductionist view, hard to pin down exact wording/source.
Shocking Unverifiable

I am not a believer in the idea that the human mind is something supernatural.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general philosophical stance, hard to pin down exact wording/source.
Shocking Unverifiable

The universe is full of mysteries, and it is our task to unravel them.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general philosophical stance.
Shocking Unverifiable

The future of computing is in artificial intelligence.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general implication from his pioneering work, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The machine will eventually be able to do anything that a human can do.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The possibility of a machine thinking is a disturbing thought for many people.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The more we learn about the brain, the more we realize that it is a very complex machine.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The idea of a 'mind' is a human construct, and it may not apply to machines.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, philosophical stance, hard to pin down exact wording/source.
Shocking Unverifiable

The imitation game is a test of intelligence, not a test of consciousness.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, clarification of the Turing Test, but precise quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The digital computer is a universal machine, capable of performing any computable task.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general understanding of his work, but precise quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The human brain has a finite number of states, and so it can be simulated by a finite state machine.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, theoretical implication from his work, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

A machine does not have to be conscious to be intelligent.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The problem of artificial intelligence is to create machines that can learn and adapt.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

I am not concerned with whether a machine has feelings, but whether it can perform tasks that require intelligence.

Approx. 1950 — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable

The computer is a tool that can be used to extend the human mind.

Approx. 1950s — Attributed, general implication from his writings, but exact quote is elusive.
Shocking Unverifiable