René Descartes, one of the most influential philosophers in the modern era, laid down an important conceptual foundation for artificial intelligence. He posited that human beings are composed of two distinct substances, arguing that physical bodies can be examined objectively, whereas thoughts and mental states can only be known through introspection. This idea is often summarized as “I think, therefore I am”. He further argued that since thinking is essential to an individual’s existence, it must necessarily be possible for a being to think without possessing a physical body. This led him to believe in the possibility of creating a thinking machine that could operate much like a human being.

For Descartes, the key in determining whether something was capable of thinking was language processing. He believed that a machine could demonstrate evidence of true intelligence if it possessed the capacity to not only  hold concepts and grasp thoughts through language, but also do so independently like we humans do.

(Adaptado de https://www.thecollector.com/philosophy-of-artificial-intelligence-descartes-turing/. Acesso em 22/08/2024.)

a) Quais são, de acordo com Descartes, os dois elementos que compõem os seres humanos? Explique qual deles é indispensável para a existência de um indivíduo e relacione sua explicação à célebre frase de Descartes.

b) De acordo com o texto, qual é o fator indissociável do pensamento? Explique, com base na visão do filósofo, como esse fator está relacionado às condições para a existência de inteligência em máquinas, e qual o requisito para a inteligência artificial se aproximar da inteligência humana.