Alan Turing

Computer science, codebreaking

Modern influential 192 sayings

Sayings by Alan Turing

The future of computing lies in the development of intelligent machines.

Unknown — Attributed, overarching theme of his work.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The question is not whether machines can think, but whether they can do something that we would call thinking.

1950 — Computing Machinery and Intelligence
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is capable of doing many things that a machine cannot, but a machine can do many things that a human cannot.

Unknown — Attributed, common comparison in AI discussions.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am not interested in whether a machine can think, but in whether it can make me think.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited as a more practical approach to evaluating AI.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The computer is the most powerful tool ever invented by man.

Unknown — Attributed, general statement on technology.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The problem of creating intelligent machines is one of the most challenging and exciting problems in all of science.

Unknown — Attributed, reflecting his enthusiasm for AI research.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The computer is a medium for thought.

Unknown — Attributed, philosophical musing on the nature of computing.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is a parallel processor.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of cognitive science.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The digital computer is a universal machine, capable of simulating any other machine.

1936 — On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The problem of consciousness is a hard problem, and I don't know the answer.

Unknown — Attributed, philosophical reflection.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is a self-organizing system.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of complex systems.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The future of humanity depends on the development of artificial intelligence.

Unknown — Attributed, strong statement on the importance of AI.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The machine is a metaphor for the human mind.

Unknown — Attributed, philosophical musing.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is an emergent property of the brain.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of emergence.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The computer is a tool for extending the human intellect.

Unknown — Attributed, general statement on technology.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is a complex adaptive system.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of complex systems.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The computer is a new medium for human expression.

Unknown — Attributed, philosophical musing.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is a pattern-matching machine.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of cognitive science.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The computer is a universal simulator.

1936 — On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is a probabilistic machine.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of Bayesian inference.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable