Alan Turing Quotes

Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.

A machine can be called intelligent if it can deceive a human into believing that it is human.

The imitation game is a test for determining if a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human.

We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.

Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition.

Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.

The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer.

Those who can imagine anything, can create the impossible.

We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge.

The fact that we can understand and make predictions about the behavior of a physical machine having such a brain demonstrates that our intelligence can extend over the whole range of behaviors exhibited by machines of this sort.

I propose to consider the question ‘Can machines think?’

Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two faculties, which we may call intuition and ingenuity.

If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent.

Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.

Those who want to appear clever rely on memory. Those who wish to get things done make use of their imagination.

We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge.

It is possible to invent a single machine which can be used to compute any computable sequence.

I am not very impressed with theological arguments whatever they may be used to support.

I’m a mathematician, not a theologian.

The only reason for making machines intelligent is you might have to spend less time being intelligent yourself.

I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.

The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer.

I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I’m after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

That which we can calculate is not that which we can predict.

The body provides something for the spirit to look after and use.

We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge.

We need to feel that we are not just living for ourselves and only for the present moment.

We are all part of a bigger picture and a larger story.

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.

What we desire is a machine that can learn from experience.

If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent.

We need to realize that we are all capable of great things.

The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.

I am very sorry, and I apologize to those who wish me to believe other than I do.

We are all part of a bigger story.

We need to realize that we are all capable of great things. There is no limit to what we can achieve if we set our minds to it.

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.

It is possible to invent a single machine which can be used to compute any computable sequence.

Intelligent machines can be developed and used to emulate the behavior of a human.

We are all part of a bigger picture and a larger story.

The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.

We all have the ability to create something beautiful.

The body provides something for the spirit to look after and use.

The intellect is not enough; the heart is needed as well.

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.

We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.

The only reason for making machines intelligent is you might have to spend less time being intelligent yourself.

It seems probable that once the machine thinking method had started, it would not take long to outstrip our feeble powers.

The only thing that I hope is certain is that society will need us more than ever.

We all have the ability to create something beautiful.