The Turing test
Updated: Jun 27, 2020
They say that the search engine to explore the vast expanse known as the Internet is run by a computer. People believe that its answers are generated by artificial intelligence and based on previously conducted search histories with top searched results.
As you sit with your browser window open, you idly tap your fingers and stare at the blank bar. Curiosity gets the better of you and you hesitantly type a question into the empty space.
Are you a person?
You don’t expect the search results to wield any particularly interesting answers. Sure enough, some articles regarding resulting in personality quizzes to see the type of person you are and how to be a good person surface. It’s exactly what you thought it’d be, and you breathe a sigh of relief that you didn’t realize you were holding.
That is until you notice the words right underneath the bar that read Did you mean “are you a human?”
You stare at the screen before rubbing your eyes to make sure you were reading things correctly. The words don’t change, so you backspace your previous question and write a new one.
Are you a real person or a computer?
The top answers show other people asking the same questions, in regard to receiving customer support help from various companies and how to handle the situation. Your eyes drift towards the top suggestion again to see what it says.
Did you mean “am I real person or a computer? What an amusing question.”
Okay, there’s no way a computer would write this kind of thing. Unless it’s programmed to respond in this way when receiving the specific keywords, which you highly doubt. Maybe all of the conspiracy theories out there about privacy and your search history being tracked weren’t so far-fetched after all.
Carefully, you type your next question while eagerly chewing your lip.
Are you a human being behind this screen?
Did you mean “am I a human being behind this screen? You tell me.”
As you think about whether or not you can tell just by this answer, the Turing test comes to mind. To ask a question that you would undoubtably know the answer would reveal if you are talking with a human or a computer is the purpose.
What is love?
Did you mean “What is love? Baby don’t hurt me?”
You stare at the screen, even more perplexed than you were before. This almost seems like an actual answer that you might receive based on popular searches due to the popularity of the song, but it could also be a human behind this trying to play a clever joke. Either way, you remain as confused as ever and you suppose you might as well flat out ask.
Are you a troll?
Did you mean “Are you a troll? The Trollz movie was very popular, wasn’t it?”
You never thought that this question would be the one to reveal the truth.
written for day 26 of the literal challenge's like the prose event.