About Software Daemons

Their history and use in modern Computing Science as an answer to the Turing Test

Abstract

Any sort of Technology can be divided into categories based on the amount of control a human has over it- Open Loop, which works only when a command is given to it, like a washing machine; Closed Loop, which uses feedback, such as a thermostat that regulates temperature within a house based on the temperature it detects on the outside; and Adaptive or Autonomous, where the control system ‘learns’ and adapts based on information it receives. For instance, Parker Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ Humanoid bot that can sense and jump onto objects, can be said to be an autonomous system. However, between Closed Loop control systems and Adaptive Technology, there exists a subset of sorts- Bots: A system that performs a series of pre-defined functions and has the potential to learn from its environment and perform more advanced actions within its predefined parameters. In this review, I look at the history of these pieces of code, from Socrates’ Daemon, to the Child Machine; and examine the applications these bots could currently have in Computing Science in general and as an answer to the Turing Test in Specific.