Turing Test
A classic benchmark for machine intelligence.
Overview
Proposed by Alan Turing, the Turing Test evaluates a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, a human. An interrogator converses with both a hidden human and a hidden machine—if the interrogator cannot reliably tell which is which, the machine is said to have passed the test, and has therefore demonstrated a level of human-like intelligence.
Ongoing Debates
Many researchers view the Turing Test as a historical milestone rather than a robust modern benchmark, because it emphasizes deception over deeper cognitive skills.
Colloquial References
Journalists and the general public often invoke "passing the Turing Test" as shorthand for AI "thinking" like a human—though it's not a formal measure of true intelligence.