Consider the lecture, read the article by Daniel Dennett ‘Can Machines Think?’, and view the videos on IBM’s Watson. An optional reading that might be helpful is the reading ‘Where are the Talking Robots?’ Then, answer the following questions (10 points total):

1. What is a ‘Turing test’ and its purpose(s) (1 point)? List at least two of Dennett’s arguments supporting the use of a ‘Turing test’ for those purposes and describe why you agree or disagree with each of those arguments (3 points).
2. What types of ‘thinking’ can machines do well and why might such abilities be relatively easy to implement in a machine (2 points)? What tasks are particularly difficult for machines and what does this reveal about the available technology and our current understanding about the abilities needed for intelligent thought (2 points)?
3. Ultimately, do you think we will be able to make machines that can think like a human being? Describe the reasons why you think so (2 points).

The answer to each question should be 100-150 words. The responses should be accurate, thoughtful, and original. Submit your answers in the Discussion Board link
entitled Assignment: Can Machines Think? This link is in the Module Assignments folder under Week 2.