The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (Oxford Readings in Philosophy)

Is "artificial intelligence" a contradiction in terms? Could computers (in principle) be made to model every aspect of the mind, including logic, language, and emotion? This interdisciplinary collection of classical and contemporary readings provides a clear and comprehensive guide to the many hotly-debated philosophical issues at the heart of artificial intelligence. The editor includes an informative introduction and reading list.

A collection of classic articles from the field of artificial intelligence (AI), The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence would be a good complement to an introductory textbook on AI fundamentals. The back cover of the book states that the material is intended for the university student or general reader, but don't be fooled. Unless you are a student in a supportive class setting or a general reader who happens to have a degree in engineering, you are likely to find the content difficult. The first chapter, for example, assumes knowledge of calculus. However, if you have the right preparation, you'll be treated to fifteen important papers in AI--including Alan Turing's Computing Machinery and Intelligence article, which proposed the now well-known Turing test for determining whether a machine is intelligent.