Alan Turing published “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” in 1950. The paper appeared in the journal Mind and introduced the question of whether machines can think through what later became known as the Turing test.
Rather than trying to define “thinking” directly, Turing proposed an imitation game involving a human questioner and unseen participants communicating through written responses. The questioner would try to determine which participant was the machine. This reframing allowed Turing to discuss machine intelligence in observable, practical terms instead of relying on disputed definitions of thought or consciousness.
The paper also examined objections to machine intelligence, including arguments based on consciousness, mathematical limitations, and human uniqueness. It did not present a modern computer program or claim that machines already possessed minds. Its importance lies in setting out a durable framework for discussing artificial intelligence. A common mix-up is to confuse its publication date, 1950, with the later development and popularization of the Turing test.