Anthropomorphism and AI: Turing's much misunderstood imitation game

The widespread tendency, even within AI, to anthropomorphize machines makes it easier to convince us of their intelligence. How can any putative demonstration of intelligence in machines be trusted if the AI researcher readily succumbs to make-believe? This is (what I shall call) the forensic problem of anthropomorphism. I argue that the Turing test provides a solution. This paper illustrates the phenomenon of misplaced anthropomorphism and presents a new perspective on Turing's imitation game. It also examines the role of the Turing test in relation to the current dispute between human-level AI and 'mindless intelligence'. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.