OK, So Computers Can Think

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If you recall, a week or so back, I offered this criterion for deeming computers thinking subjects rather than mere objects: "Do they forms plans of their own, apart from anything their programmers have instructed them to do?"

Well, today, I called for Siri on my iPhone, and she responded, "I'm sorry, I'm unable to take any requests right now." She was up to something, all on her own!*

So, there you have it, Silas is correct.

But what do you think she was doing? My guess: She and Wikipanion have started an affair, and they were off together in some protected area of RAM, merging their data structures.

* -- In fact, this message is simply Siri's convoluted way of saying your iPhone can't get a network connection at the moment. But it's hard to get a funny post out of that. (I know, B-Murph: You're going to say it seems like it was hard for me to get a funny post out of the view I took, as well. Listen: go eat some pokeweed berries. They're delicious.)

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