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From: jqb@netcom.com (Jim Balter)
Subject: Re: Eliza (was Re: Are there non-humans lurking on Internet/Usenet?)
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Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 22:29:05 GMT
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In article <3hbhvf$edt@infa.central.susx.ac.uk>,
Richard Matthias <richardm@cogs.susx.ac.uk> wrote:
>Jeff Dalton (jeff@aiai.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
>: It's still sometimes difficult to convince people who "ought to
>: know better" (a.g. AI phd students) that Eliza does not have "some"
>: understanding.
>
>No current computer program has "understanding". What is understanding anyway?
>My opinion (humble at the current time) is that no strong ai program however
>sophisticated can really understand. There are people here (The school of
>cognitive sciences) that would argue against me. Some of these people mark my
>work, so I don't tell them what I think. After all I can't _prove_ it can I?

Well, perhaps they would be impressed if you could provide a cogent argument
for your position.  You would of course have to explore that question of
what is understanding.

Some people, such as Searle, think they *can* prove it.

If you are really at a school where you are discouraged from saying what you
think, you might consider relocating.  You might also consider the possibility
(being as humble as you are) that your marks reflect the quality of your
thinking, not merely the irrational biases of your instructors.

-- 
<J Q B>

