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Published Nov 28, 2021

The Mechanical Turk

Explore the captivating history of the Mechanical Turk, an 18th-century chess-playing automaton that enthralled European elites while secretly operated by human chess masters, and uncover its enduring influence on modern technology and AI.
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  • Modern AI

    Modern AI systems have advanced to the point where they can outperform humans in complex games like Go, chess, and Jeopardy. highlights these achievements to set the stage for a historical comparison. He notes that these systems are the result of sophisticated algorithms and immense computational power 1.

    You've probably heard of artificial intelligence systems which have gotten so good that they can beat the best humans at games like Go, chess, or even Jeopardy.

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    This context helps us appreciate the ingenuity behind The Mechanical Turk, a device from over 200 years ago that also captivated audiences with its chess-playing abilities.

       

    Introduction

    Transitioning from modern AI, introduces The Mechanical Turk, a mechanical device created by a Hungarian engineer that could seemingly defeat the world's greatest chess players. This device managed to convince people for over 80 years of its autonomous capabilities 1.

    Learn more about The Mechanical Turk and how it convinced people for over 80 years that it could play chess.

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    This historical marvel serves as a precursor to today's AI, illustrating early attempts to mimic human intelligence and skill in games.

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