Artificial Intelligence Group Launches Meetings

   Can machines think? Do they have emotions? Can computers be made to think intelligently? Are we computers? What are computers anyway? Founded in 1992 under the auspices of the world-wide Association for Computing Machinery, Bilkent ACM SIGART, a local “Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence”, brings together a diverse group of people interested in these sort of questions.
   SIGART holds regular seminars, discussion meetings and other events where everyone (beginner and expert alike) can join in. While focusing on the technical and philosophical aspects of AI, the group also strives to improve awareness of more general computer related issues through occasional film shows, seminars and panel discussions, and jointly organizes the annual Bilkent programming contest. The next such contest “Software Quest 2002” will be held at the beginning of the Spring semester. Programmers interested in entering should start working now!
   SIGART's first meeting this semester, an introductory talk/discussion entitled “What is AI?”, is at 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31 in EA-502 (engineering building). Everyone is welcome. Details of this and all SIGART activities can be found on the web at http://sigart.bilkent.edu.tr, where you can also join our e-mail list to be informed of upcoming events.