Chatbots: The Future is Here

Based on this thesis statement, Turing devised the "Turing test", which is now considered the standard for qualifying computer programs (chatbots) as intelligent. The test today involves a series of 5 minute-long text conversations with judges, during which the program must convince them that it is human on average at least 30% of the time. This is based on Turing's assumption that by the year 2000, machines would be capable of fooling 30% of human judges after five minutes of questioning. Whether a bot is actually able to pass the Turing test or if Turing did in fact intend the test to be passed is still debatable. Regardless, there are a few bots that have an uncanny humanness to them that will convince a good many people that they are human.