The Dangers of Anthropomorphism in AI

Douglas Hofstadter was subjected to a friendly hoax by some graduate students. They convinced him that they had obtained access to a government-run AI program. In reality, one of the students was at the other end of the line, imitating in Eliza program. Today's programs written 26 years later are still no better at the task of seeming to think than Eliza was. Their main application is still amusement, both directly and in computer games.