Conference Program

The English Scientist Alan Turing, with his hypothesis, aimed at establisishing a mathematical analogy between the numerical computer and the human mind. Turing therefore examines the main objections to the idea that machines can think and, at the same time, proposes his own definition of thought and intelligence. This definition comes from his refutation of the argiument proposed by Ada Byron Lovelace, known as the "Lady Lovelace objection". Turing cites a statement by Lovelace, often regarded as the first programmer in history, taken from an essay on the Analytical Engine designed by the inventor Charles Babbage. In this text she states that "the Analytical Engine has no pretentions to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform.” According to this view, a machine would be incapable of producing anything truly new, merely executing instructions and performing actions whose consequences are predictable for humans. Although neither Lovelace nor Babbage could foresee the later developments and potential of computing machines, Turing considers this claim incorrect. The weak version of the Lovelace objection argues that a machine can never do anything genuinely new. Turing responds ironically by invoking the saying “There is nothing new under the sun,” adding that no one can be certain that their own “original work” is not simply the result of a seed planted by education or the consequence of applying well-known general principles. Finally, Turing addresses the strong version of the objection, according to which a machine can never take a human by surprise. He challenges this claim by referring to his own experience, noting that machines often surprise him. Although he recognizes that this response is not fully decisive, he observes that judging something as “surprising” always requires a creative mental act, whether the source of the surprise is a human being, a book, a machine, or something else. Turing beliefs that machines cannot produce surprising outcomes often stems from a common error, particularly among philosophers and mathematicians: the assumption that once a fact appears in the mind, all its consequences are immediately apparent. As a result, people tend to underestimate the value of simply working out the consequences of given data and general principles, overlooking the genuine significance of such processes. The objective of this abstract is to highlight the historical and pedagogical importance of Ada Lovelace, not only as a pioneer of computing but also as a figure of educational significance and as the first woman to address the issue of creativity and originality in computers. By examining the debate surrounding the Lovelace Objection, the study aims to emphasize the role of Lady Lovelace not only as a mathematician but also as an intellectual and pedagogical personality whose reflections on machines and logical instruction contribute to a broader pedagogical understanding of computational thinking. From this perspective, Lovelace emerges as an early thinker linking mathematical reasoning, education, and the conceptual foundations of computer science, becoming an anticipator and a key reference point for contemporary reflections on artificial intelligence.