do computers play chess?

Question

so we all know in 1997, deep blue (a computer) beat kasparov, worlds greatest chess player. if we can qualify kasparov as an intelligent being, can we do the same for deep blue? what do you think about the notion that "we cannot impute intelligence to a machine unless it is conscious of its own achievements"? is there a difference between thinking and simply doing millions of calculations per second?

I am aware of the Chinese room analogy, and of the consciousness and understanding arguments. I just wanted to see some opinions on this.

Answer 1

This is an excellent question that allows us to see the true complexity of conscious thought. It is much easier to program a computer to play chess, it is a simple game, than it is to program it to respond to random questions. In fact, that is the test that Turing devised to determine when a computer was conscious.
"...it proceeds as follows: a human judge engages in a natural language conversation with one human and one machine, each of which try to appear human; if the judge cannot reliably tell which is which, then the machine is said to pass the test."

No one has devised a computer program that passes this simple test as yet. Imagine the amount of information that a human being possesses when he is able to answer something like, "I did enjoy the sight of the air balloon this morning, even though the pilot appeared to be a purple hippopotamus." A computer data base would not find and easy way to continue such a conversation.

Answer 2

You're going to want to do a google search on something called the Chinese room argument against strong AI. The basic idea is that unless the computer is capable of making a decision based on how it feels rather then a calculation it's given, the computer can not be considered to have true intelligence.

However I believe it is possible to program consciousness into a computer, but most other computer scientists would disagree with me.

Answer 3

I would tend to quantify the distinction between intelligence and computation as one of creativity.

A computer only operates within its instructions. It may provide you with information that it would have taken you longer to come up with, but it will be the exact same information that ANY computing device will come up with given those instructions and time.

Intelligent humans, on the other hand, often think 'outside the box'. They surprise you. They come up with important and relevant ideas and conclusions even when their intrustions do not ask them to... and often even when they are instructed specifically not to. This is why no amount of computing will ever replace an intelligence, except in situations where no intuition of creativity is required in any way.

Chess is one of those. Though the number of moves are large, they are not infinite. Given enough computing power, it is possible for the game to be 'solved' (as checkers already has been) - where every possible move and outcome is completely charted out. That our intelligence can grapple with such a computationally intractible problem and come out triumphant much of the time is just another demonstation of its utility.

That's my take, anyway, for what it's worth. Peace.

Answer 4

No.

Computers themselves don't play chess. I don't, for example get home to find my computer with it's shades on, sipping coffee and playing chess over the internet.

But seriously now...

When you have a chess game installed on your computer, it isn't the computer you're playing against. It's actually the game/software you're playing.

I have two chess games. My computer can either be smart or dumb - depending on which game I have on. I have a Russian one - called Fritz for Fun - and when I have it on the hardest setting, it is impossible to beat...to the point where the game is no longer 'fun'. I also have another one from Microsoft. This one isn't as hard as Fritz. I have played them both at the same time on opposite colours and played them against each other (both on their hardest settings). Fritz is by far the best.

I think it's amazing what game developers can get your computer to do. But the credit has to go to the game developers - because without them, you wouldn't be able to play chess on your computer at all!

If you were a whizz with a computer and you got a new chess game to work with Windows 95 on an oldish machine, the AI on that game would be as sharp as it would be on a state-of-the-art PC with Windows Vista installed. Likewise, the AI in a chess game made for Windows 95 would still be that same artificial idiot on your new, state-of-the-art PC with Windows Vista installed.

Answer 5

whats up!! Your first question!!! Haha. regrettably, i'm no longer completely beneficial of the respond. If i ought to guess, i might say that the pc analyzes what pass you have made, and then makes a pass from there. it particularly is in basic terms a sort of magical issues that computers do. Haha. Sorry if I wasn't of plenty help. i'm no longer the final with computers. =/ sturdy success!

Answer 6

He did challenge blue to rematch and won the second time around. Human brains are computers too, just more complex. Given time, computers will be able to think on their own one day.