LIE DETECTORS

Machines can malfunction

Perhaps so but have been to be proved more reliable than human beings. You only have to look at such invention as guided bombs, robots in manufacturing industries etc to see their worthiness over the human thinking.

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Machines can malfunction

Perhaps so but have been to be proved more reliable than human beings. You only have to look at such invention as guided bombs, robots in manufacturing industries etc to see their worthiness over the human thinking.

Human thinking made those machines, the highest powered computer is a minimal % of the human brain power.

Yes but still using more than the average human being.

Depends on the circumstances.

Searching, sorting, calculating, etc. a computer can do things brilliantly. A computer is 0 and 1's - binary. Thats the deepest you're ever going to go in terms of machine languages, the core. Something is either off, 0, or on, 1. Computers are great at doing things to the letter of the law as to say.

if this happens, do this. else if this happens, do this. else do, this.

Computers dont do well when it comes to making decisions that have many variable factors unless controlled by a human.

If we had a sentencing structure that had predefined sentences of 10 years for murder and 6 for rape then it would be simple to ask a computer - is this person guilty of rape? and if the answer is yes they get sentenced 6 years in prison. A simple AI related language such as Prolog would be able to handle that.

However, because of all the circumstantial evidence, the many variables, etc. and things a computer cant cater for without human interaction then its a stupid thing to use a computer solely for.

Also, the best detection consultants and body language experts can detect someone who is lying at a higher rate than any lie detector which is why they make a stupid amount of money doing their job. This is because there are various elements that a computer cannot take into account.

People overestimate the power of computers way too much. It all depends on application and circumstance.