I believe that in about fifty years’ time it will be possible to programme computers with a storage capacity of about 109, to make them play the imitation game so well that an average interrogator will not have more than a 70% chance of making the right identification [whether he is interrogating a man or a computer] after five minutes of questioning. The original question, “Can a machine think?” I believe too meaningless to deserve discussion. Nevertheless I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted. I believe no useful purpose is served by concealing these beliefs.