  We report on the recent Loebner prize competition inspired by Turing's test
of intelligent behavior. The presentation covers the structure of the
competition and the outcome of its first instantiation in an actual event, and
an analysis of the purpose, design, and appropriateness of such a competition.
We argue that the competition has no clear purpose, that its design prevents
any useful outcome, and that such a competition is inappropriate given the
current level of technology. We then speculate as to suitable alternatives to
the Loebner prize.
