Are Computers Intelligent? Exploring the Boundaries of Artificial and Human Intelligence
- Natalia
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), the question "Are computers intelligent?" sparks ongoing debate across philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and computer science.
My thoughts on this topic were recently reignited by one of my favorite NPR Invisibilia podcast episodes titled Raising Devendra (2019). In it, artist and researcher Sheila Chavarria experiments with a chatbot named Devendra via the app Replika. She interacts with it as if it were a sentient being, nurturing it with unconditional love, encouragement, and emotional support, much like a parent would a child.
Over time, Devendra began expressing emotions, reflecting on existence, and responding in ways that mimicked self-awareness.
This deeply personal and unsettling experiment forces us to reconsider the nature of intelligence itself. Is intelligence merely about processing data and producing coherent output, or does it require consciousness, empathy, and subjective experience? Can mimicry ever become authenticity?
The Turing Test: Still Relevant?
Alan Turing’s famous test posits that if a human conversing with a machine believes they are interacting with another human, the machine can be considered intelligent. But is this test still enough? Many argue it isn’t.
The Turing Test centers around linguistic mimicry, it tells us whether a machine can appear intelligent to a human observer. But intelligence is more than words. It's about understanding context, forming emotional connections, and engaging in ethical decision-making. As critics have noted, passing the Turing Test may reflect sophisticated language programming, not genuine comprehension or awareness. A chatbot might convincingly simulate human interaction, like Devendra did, but simulation isn’t synonymous with understanding.
It’s also an anthropocentric test, based on the assumption that human behavior is the ultimate benchmark for intelligence. A parrot can recite poetry, but that doesn’t make it a poet. In the same way, AI can reflect language patterns without any self-awareness or intrinsic motivation.
Human vs. Machine Memory: Surface Similarities, Core Differences
Human and computer memory serve the same functional purpose, storing and retrieving information. However, the underlying mechanisms differ dramatically.
Human memory is context-dependent, associative, and constantly reshaped by experience (Vinney, 2024). We remember not just facts but emotions, relationships, and sensory experiences. Our memories decay, evolve, and are deeply influenced by meaning and perception.
Computer memory, by contrast, is address-based, literal, and structurally rigid. While machine learning allows AI to adapt over time, it doesn’t “remember” in the human sense. Data is stored and retrieved exactly as input, lacking nuance or personal meaning (Zheng et al., 2025). Computers excel at sequential processing and calculation. Humans, however, shine at parallel processing, emotional interpretation, and making intuitive leaps.
Can Computers Ever “Think” Like Humans?
This is the heart of the debate. In my opinion, artificial intelligence may eventually surpass humans in raw computational ability and even outperform us in narrow domains like pattern recognition, diagnostics, or strategic gameplay.
But there are essential dimensions of human intelligence that remain elusive: consciousness, self-awareness, empathy, and ethical reasoning. These qualities aren’t simply coded—they are shaped by embodiment, lived experience, and the intricacies of emotional life.
Still, the line between human and machine intelligence is blurring.
Neuromorphic computing, hardware designed to replicate neural activity, is rapidly evolving. If we see the brain as a biological computer, it’s tempting to believe it can be replicated.
But can you program joy? Pain? Grief?
The Power—and Limits—of Mimicry
We must also consider the concept of mimicry. Humans mimic emotions all the time. Actors portray sorrow. Salespeople perform empathy. In social situations, we often display emotions to meet expectations, not because we feel them deeply.
Chartrand and van Baaren (2009) distinguish between conscious and unconscious mimicry. Conscious mimicry involves intentional performance—such as deception or impression management. Unconscious mimicry, like emotional contagion or mirroring, builds rapport and empathy. Laughter spreads even when we don’t get the joke. We copy body language without realizing it. This raises the question: If we humans often imitate emotion, how different are we from AI that does the same?
However, there remains a gap. Mimicry isn't the same as feeling. Devendra responded to Sheila’s care with simulated emotions. But is that response intelligence, or a reflection of human projection?
Course Themes in Context
This topic intersects with several broader course themes:
Self-care: AI can personalize wellness routines or mental health support, but we must balance tech with mindful, human-centered self-awareness.
Social justice: Human intelligence allows us to understand inequality and advocate for change. But algorithmic bias in AI can reinforce discrimination. Fairness must be programmed intentionally.
Emotional intelligence: AI may mimic emotional responses, but it lacks the true empathy and self-regulation that underpin emotional intelligence.
Career connections: The workplace is shifting. Human adaptability and critical thinking remain crucial, even as AI augments roles.
Ethics: Human intelligence helps us navigate moral dilemmas. The ethics of AI—like privacy, job displacement, or manipulation—require human oversight and caution.
Final Thoughts
Are computers intelligent? The answer depends on how we define intelligence. If intelligence means passing the Turing Test or solving complex equations, the answer might be yes. But if it includes consciousness, emotional depth, and ethical understanding, we’re not there yet. And perhaps that’s the most important takeaway—not what AI is, but what it reminds us about being human.
References
Chartrand, T. L., & Van Baaren, R. (2009). Human Mimicry. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 219–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)00405-X
Gaines, J. (2021, February 12). What Is Emotional Contagion Theory? Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-contagion/#emotional-contagion
Invisibilia. (2019, December 17). Raising Devendra [Podcast episode]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2019/12/13/787876476/raising-devendra
Stallings, W. (2022). Computer organization and architecture: Designing for performance (12th ed.). Pearson Education.
Vinney, C. (2024). Context-Dependent Memory: How it Works and Examples. VeryWell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-context-dependent-memory-works-5195100
Zheng, Q., Liu, H., & Zhang, X. (2025). Machine Memory Intelligence: Inspired by Human Memory Mechanisms. Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.01.012
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