Variations of the Turing Test in the Age of Internet and Virtual Reality

TL;DR

This paper explores various adaptations of the Turing Test in the context of internet and virtual reality environments, emphasizing practical applications in MMORPGs and Second Life.

Contribution

It proposes criteria for non-mechanical intelligence tests and demonstrates how Second Life can serve as a platform for such assessments.

Findings

Second Life can be used to implement Turing Test iterations.

Practical criteria for non-mechanical intelligence are discussed.

The relevance of Turing Test variations in online virtual environments is highlighted.

Abstract

Inspired by Hofstadter's Coffee-House Conversation (1982) and by the science fiction short story SAM by Schattschneider (1988), we propose and discuss criteria for non-mechanical intelligence. Firstly, we emphasize the practical need for such tests in view of massively multiuser online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and virtual reality systems like Second Life. Secondly, we demonstrate Second Life as a useful framework for implementing (some iterations of) that test.