A company in Singapore has revived famed computer scientist Alan Turing as a chatbot<\/a> and appointed \"him\" as its \"chief AI officer.\"<\/p>

It comes from Genius Group, a company focused on AI-powered business education, including developing chatbots based on historical figures such as Albert Einstein and Marco Polo. <\/p>

Genius Group has now developed<\/a> an \"AI avatar\" based on Turing, often considered the godfather of artificial intelligence. According to the company, the Turing chatbot is capable enough to lead Genius Group's AI efforts following a month-long search for a chief AI officer. <\/p>

\"It soon became clear that Alan Turing AI was by far the best candidate for the role. He has already written his first White Paper<\/a> ‘Preparing for a Post Turing Test World’ providing his vision for the future in detail and we expect he will continue to improve exponentially from here onwards,” says Genius Group CEO Roger James Hamilton. <\/p>

The company uploaded a video<\/a> introducing the Turing chatbot to the public using AI-generated imagery. \"I’ve just joined Genius Group as their chief AI officer,” the Turing chatbot says in a voice that sounds like Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who portrayed the scientist in a 2014 film. \"Anyways, nice to be back after 70 years.\"<\/p>

\n \n This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.\n <\/a>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The whole thing is no doubt a marketing move. And the stunt has outraged users on social media. Software engineer Grady Booch, a former Turing Talk speaker, wrote<\/a> on Twitter\/X: \"Absolute and complete trash. I hope that Turing’s heirs sue you into oblivion.\"<\/p>

Another user told<\/a> Genius Group’s CEO: \"This is so incredibly unethical, disrespectful, and disgusting. You are pillaging the image of a deceased person (who frankly has suffered enough from exploitation) and the voice of an actor to suit your purposes. Vile.\"<\/p>

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It's unclear if Genius Group got permission from Turing's family or Cumberbatch to use their likenesses. The company and the Turing Trust, which was created by Turing’s family, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. <\/p>

Still, the chatbot underscores how AI can be used in ethically dubious and creepy ways<\/a> as rules around the tech continue to evolve. In the meantime, Genius Group is offering users free access<\/a> to the Turing chatbot, which communicates over text (sans Cumberbatch voice).<\/p>","headline":"Company Revives Alan Turing as an AI Chatbot, Outrage Ensues","articleSection":"AI","datePublished":"2024-04-30T16:55:58+00:00","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"PCMag","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/images\/pcmag-social-share.png","width":1200,"height":1200},"alternateName":"PCMag","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/PCMag","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PCMag","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pcmag","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PCMag","https:\/\/www.flipboard.com\/@PCMag","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pcmag\/"],"description":"PCMag is your complete guide to PC computers, peripherals and upgrades. We test and review computer- and Internet-related products and services, report technology news and trends, and provide shopping advice and price comparisons."},"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michael Kan","url":"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/authors\/michael-kan","jobTitle":"Senior Reporter","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/authors\/06W4G6A5rmg4LxEffqKnnc6..v1560221550.png","height":85,"width":85}}],"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/articles\/02XmQ2QjRlrV2FV3Vz1dkVs-1..v1714489984.jpg","height":1526,"width":2713}],"description":"Alan Turing is back in chatbot form to shill for an AI company, infuriating internet users.","wordCount":389,"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/company-revives-alan-turing-as-an-ai-chatbot-outrage-ensues"} Skip to Main Content

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Company Revives Alan Turing as an AI Chatbot, Outrage Ensues

Alan Turing is back in chatbot form to shill for an AI company, infuriating internet users.

By Michael Kan
April 30, 2024
The AI Alan Turing alongside a real photo of him AI Alan Turing next to real Alan Turing (Credit: Genius Group/Princeton University)

A company in Singapore has revived famed computer scientist Alan Turing as a chatbot and appointed "him" as its "chief AI officer."

It comes from Genius Group, a company focused on AI-powered business education, including developing chatbots based on historical figures such as Albert Einstein and Marco Polo. 

Genius Group has now developed an "AI avatar" based on Turing, often considered the godfather of artificial intelligence. According to the company, the Turing chatbot is capable enough to lead Genius Group's AI efforts following a month-long search for a chief AI officer. 

"It soon became clear that Alan Turing AI was by far the best candidate for the role. He has already written his first White Paper ‘Preparing for a Post Turing Test World’ providing his vision for the future in detail and we expect he will continue to improve exponentially from here onwards,” says Genius Group CEO Roger James Hamilton. 

The company uploaded a video introducing the Turing chatbot to the public using AI-generated imagery. "I’ve just joined Genius Group as their chief AI officer,” the Turing chatbot says in a voice that sounds like Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who portrayed the scientist in a 2014 film. "Anyways, nice to be back after 70 years."

The whole thing is no doubt a marketing move. And the stunt has outraged users on social media. Software engineer Grady Booch, a former Turing Talk speaker, wrote on Twitter/X: "Absolute and complete trash. I hope that Turing’s heirs sue you into oblivion."

Another user told Genius Group’s CEO: "This is so incredibly unethical, disrespectful, and disgusting. You are pillaging the image of a deceased person (who frankly has suffered enough from exploitation) and the voice of an actor to suit your purposes. Vile."

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George Carlin's Estate Reaches Settlement Over AI-Generated Stand-Up Special

It's unclear if Genius Group got permission from Turing's family or Cumberbatch to use their likenesses. The company and the Turing Trust, which was created by Turing’s family, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Still, the chatbot underscores how AI can be used in ethically dubious and creepy ways as rules around the tech continue to evolve. In the meantime, Genius Group is offering users free access to the Turing chatbot, which communicates over text (sans Cumberbatch voice).

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About Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

Michael Kan

I've been working as a journalist for over 15 years—I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017.

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