Hugh Loebner

In his letter to Dr. Robert Epstein, written on December 30, 1988 [1], Loebner authorized Dr. Epstein to move forward with a contest, and referring to the Turing Test, Loebner wrote: "Robert, in years to come, there may be richer prizes, and more prestigious contests, but gads, this will always be the oldest."

Establishing the Loebner Prize, he introduced the Turing Test to a wider public, and stimulated interest in this science.

It remains Hugh Loebner’s desire to advance AI, and for the Turing Test to serve as a tool to measure the state of the art: "There is a nobility in this endeavour.

[2] In 1996, he authored a Magna Carta for Sex Work or Manifesto of Sexual Freedom,[3] in which he denounced the criminalization of consensual sexual acts, and asked all like minded people to join a protest on June 9, 1996 (a play on the 69 sex position).

He was divorced, lived in New York City, and owned Crown Industries, a manufacturer of crowd control stanchion and brass fittings, which is the major sponsor of the Loebner Prize in the US.