"Minds, Brains, and Programs" Discussion Questions

John R. Searle
  1. Explain Searle’s distinction between strong AI and weak AI.
  2. Searle proposes a Chinese room thought experiment. What point does he hope to make with this thought experiment?
  3. How does Searle respond to the Brain Simulator Reply?
  4. How does Searle characterize understanding? Do you agree with his conception of understanding?
  5. What three explanations does Searle suggest for why Strong AI attributes understanding to computers in the way it does?
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