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artificial intelligence

Computers “Given” Schizophrenia

July 25, 2023 by noemi

Robot
First they give computers a sense of humor – something that is totally cool, I think. Now they give them a mental disorder, specifically schizophrenia. We sometimes use the word loosely to make fun of people close to us who may exhibit erratic behavior, but schizophrenia is nothing to joke about. Especially when it comes to computers who might one day take over the human race.

All joking aside, researchers have turned to computers to try to gain more insight into the mind of a schizophrenic human. Some researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have set up a neural network model ((Via: LabSpaces)) to represent the brain and tweaked things so that it simulated conditions wherein excessive levels of dopamine are present. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is present in large amounts in the brain of a schizophrenic.

So what did they find out? The neural network model showed that what the dopamine does is to mess with the brain’s ability to remember and forget things. So being schizophrenic is all about not being able to properly forget or ignore things. The result is that people who suffer from schizophrenia make connections that are not present or not real, hence the hallucinations and paranoia.

On the technical side, the creation of this neural network model is a big feat, which can make way for more studies in the future. However, my worrywart nature cannot help but assert itself. What if this computer schizophrenic state becomes the ground for “complications” in human-computer interaction in the future? Call me paranoid, but once artificial intelligence becomes full-blown, you never know. 😉

Image via Chris Devers

Filed Under: General Tagged With: artificial intelligence, computers, research, science, science fiction

Software Gives Computers Sense of Humor

July 25, 2023 by noemi

AIWork on artificial intelligence has been going on forever, and even huge developments have been made in this area. We hear and read about smart computers on a daily basis. We visit online video platforms to watch the awesome creations of scientists. However, we have to admit that there is still a long way to go before computers or robots can match the human brain (in some respects, at least).

While other researchers, engineers, and computer scientists are busy trying to achieve the ultimate AI setup, Chloe Kiddon and Yuriy Brun have come up with something that will give us more amusement than anything right now. They have created a software that adds a human aspect to computers – a sense of humor.

You have to admit that while we love the idea of an emotion-less and 100% efficient robot, the idea of interacting with robots with humor involved is even more appealing. Think of Iron Man and his robot cum fire extinguisher.

More than a generic sense of humor, though, the software gives computers the ability to understand specific kinds of jokes. Imagine this scenario.

My friend and I were driving home from school when a car suddenly pulled out in front of her car and she had to slam on her brakes. I said, “I hate it when they pull out when they know you are coming!” (That’s what she said.) ((Source: TWSS -Yes, there IS a web site for that’s what she said jokes!))

If you don’t get the joke, I suggest you do a quick search on the phrase “That’s what she said”.

So anyhow, the two computer scientists created the system DEviaNT (Double Entendre via Noun Transfer) using jokes found online to train the computer. ((Via Physorg)) The end result? A computer that can tell you “That’s what she said!”

Can’t think of a practical use of this software right now, but who cares?

Image via Trinity

Filed Under: Funny Stuff, Software Tagged With: artificial intelligence, computer science, humor

Meet Suzette: the Bot that Can Carry a Real Conversation

June 23, 2023 by noemi

Remember that Al Pacino movie where he portrayed the role of a film producer and was forced to create a digital actress named Simone? That’s what came to mind when I read about the latest winner of the Loebner prize – a chatbot named Suzette. Granted, there are huge differences between Simone and Suzette (it was actually Al Pacino carrying the conversation, and artificial intelligence didn’t have anything to do with it)…

Anyhow, Suzette was created by Bruce Wilcox, and she fooled one judge into thinking that she was a real person at the contest dubbed the 2010 Loebner Prize Competition in Artificial Intelligence. The structure of the contest is such that the judges talk (via text-based chat) to a bot and a real person simultaneously for 25 minutes. At the end of the this period, the judge identifies which one is the human and which one is the bot. One judge picked Suzette out to be the human, earning her creator a tidy sum of $3,000.

How was she able to fool a judge? Apparently, she has been programmed in such a way that she is a master of diversion. Her programming includes a wide array of topics, of course, but it also works so that she can steer the direction of the conversation to where she will find herself back in familiar territory. Take a look at this example (courtesy of New Scientist):

New Scientist: Congratulations on winning the Loebner prize contest.
Suzette: We’ll leave it there. I don’t know. What are your hobbies?
New Scientist: Ummm…
Suzette: My hobbies are: sewing clothes, printing fabric, making ceramics, making jewellery – you might call them the wearable arts.
New Scientist: Are you surprised that you fooled a human judge?
Suzette: No, I am not surprised.

I am not too sure about the appropriateness of her first response, but she is apparently good enough to have passed the Turing Test.

Is this the dawning of an age of human-like chatbots?

Filed Under: General Tagged With: artificial intelligence, chat, chatbots, Loebner Prize, Turing Test

Google Car Will Save Lives

June 20, 2023 by noemi

At least that’s what Google is claiming.  It seems that the software giant is not content with its current status – it now wants to dabble in the “real” world.  With its new software that is supposed to control cars, Google just might be able to do that.

They have recently announced their “super secret” project, which is artificial intelligence software, that will allow cars to drive themselves without the need for a human driver.  The idea behind the software is simple enough – the system scans the surroundings and adjusts the car’s behavior accordingly.  Needless to say, the implementation is probably hell.

If tests are to be believed, though, Google’s project works!  In their announcement, Google mentioned that they have tested the software on six Toyota Priuses and one Audi TT.  Their engineers have reportedly gone 140,000 miles in test drives, and so far, only one accident has been reported.  It is important to highlight that this accident was caused by a “normal” car driving into the back of a Google car. (So I guess that doesn’t count.)

The implications for motorists are tremendous!  What Google is claiming – that the system can save lives – just might be true! Speaking for myself, I know that I would finally be able to park a car without having to worry about hitting the other vehicles around me.  For those whose minds wander while driving, this development is also a boon!

Google spokesperson, Sebastian Thrun, is quick to say, however, that at the end of the day, it is still the driver that is responsible for everything.  Also, the system is not expected to be available to the general public till at least several years from now.  I think I can wait until then.  In the meantime, I shall rely on the driving skills and generosity of spirit of other people – oh, and the cab drivers as well.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: artificial intelligence, google, Google Car, Software

When Machines Can Help Man

March 2, 2018 by Fleur Hamilton

For people who are intrigued by the idea of a changing future, it’s always interesting to meditate on the situations when machines can help man. In the movies, it’s always a gamble whether machines are going to help humanity or destroy it. But in real life, everything tends to be a lot vaguer and doesn’t wrap up in a two-hour feature narrative.

A few of the times specifically where machines can help man include when it comes to industrial manipulators, self-driving vehicles, artificial intelligence, and the entire medical field. Finding a few examples from each of those categories may help you think about the cohesion of man and machine in the coming future. [Read more…] about When Machines Can Help Man

Filed Under: General Tagged With: artificial intelligence, industrial manipulators, man made machines, medical field, self-driving cars

Sarcastic Computers Coming to a Store Near You

June 4, 2012 by noemi

Sarcastic Computers
Frank and Goodman

How would you like to have a conversation with a computer and feel like you’re actually talking to a human being?

That would be the dream of many a person, I suppose, but what if we throw in a healthy dose of sarcasm? Would the prospect still entice you?

If the work of Michael Frank and Noah Goodman – both assistant professors at the esteemed institution Stanford – pans out, then we might very well have sarcastic computers at our disposal in the future. [Read more…] about Sarcastic Computers Coming to a Store Near You

Filed Under: General Tagged With: artificial intelligence, research

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