Re: [asa] Sense and nonsense

Quoting Dave Wallace <wdwllace@sympatico.ca>:

>
> So as not to offend anyone, how can any of you tell that I am not a much
> advanced version of a complex AI linguistic machine of which Eliza was a
> cave man like prototype? Some days when I do something especially
> stupid, I even wonder if I would qualify as a regressed version. How
> does my wife know that I am a person? The only real answer I have is
> that accepting others self consciousness/personhood is a step of faith
> not in conflict with reason. Would seeing me in person actually help
> make such a decision? Probably it would, but I wonder if it really should.
>
> Dave W
>

Somebody should "invent" a new pseudonym run by such a phrase generator (from
whatever latest versions exist) and let that generator become a participant in
discussion lists like this one. The experiment would be to see how much time
or how many exchanges could happen before the human identity of the
participant was challenged. And discussion lists usually have a focused topic
on which such an "intelligence" could be programmed. I am tempted to wonder
how many of us could be mistaken for such a participant, but I'm not sure I
want to venture there! Most of us have enough lapses in attentiveness or
mindless reversions to emotional ranting that at times that the distinction
between our contributions and those from such a text producer might prove
embarrassingly difficult. Tempting as it may be for some of you, this is NOT
an invitation to nominate your favorite candidates. You must resist.
Resistance is not futile!

--Merv

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Received on Fri Jun 22 16:22:07 2007