Before we can start discussing experiments being done and arguments being made about artificial intelligence, we must first comprehend and define what artificial intelligence actually is. Artificial intelligence referred to as “AI”, is said, in the words of John McCarthy, to be that, “It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence” (McCarthy). In short, McCarthy says artificial intelligence to be the smart computer programs that are developed to act as similar to human intelligence as possible. These intelligent computer programs are man-made programs that then are possibly applied to machines for the purpose of doing something a human would do or beyond that. For example, artificial intelligence makes it possible for us to have virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa on our smartphones. You may not think much or even use things like Siri and Alexa, however, what makes them exist is the computer program that has been created for them to simulate a human assisting you in real-time. AI is also used and involved in countless things that allow us to live in our world today. Some might immediately think of the robots, self-driving cars, and futuristic type gadgets, however, AI exists in many more things than just those. While artificial intelligence is constantly being studied and improved as we progress as a society and in science, there are arguments to be made. Arguments include the dangers, ethicalities, benefits, advantages, and more. Discussions and conversations surrounding AI not only include these arguments, but also other concerns and thoughts. The scholarly text mentioned before by John Searle explores the concept of these computer programs being individuals: thinking, deciding, choosing by themselves. Searle poses the question, “Could a machine think?” (Searle 417). As we explore the subject of whether machines can or can’t think, we need to understand the factors, purposes, and actions of AI; to continue to discover what AI is and could be capable of, we’ll look at Searle’s thought experiment and the talk surrounding it.
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