Editing 948: AI
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | This comic is a reference to the wildly funny | + | This comic is a reference to the wildly funny [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnzlbyTZsQY video] of two {{w|Cleverbot}}s talking to each other. By recording and analyzing whatever humans type into its input, they can sound pretty human to whoever is reading their response. |
| − | [[Megan]] has been watching the video and | + | [[Megan]] has been watching the video and ask [[Cueball]] about it. He says it's just "clumsy sampling" as they are still very far from sounding like humans and holding normal conversations. |
Megan then sums up that as of the release of this comic computers were good at {{w|chess}} and at driving cars through a desert. (Although some might think of deserts as a place with no obstacles to hit, one must also consider rocky deserts which are a rather difficult terrain to navigate: making this search field very interesting for space exploration as well. The ability of such {{w|self-driving cars}} would improve much later, with this comic being the first with a direct reference to them. Later, self-driving cars became a [[:Category:Self-driving cars|recurring topic]] on xkcd.) But they cannot hold a conversation for five minutes. And she thus concludes that a cleverbot would be perfect for attending ''Burning Man''. | Megan then sums up that as of the release of this comic computers were good at {{w|chess}} and at driving cars through a desert. (Although some might think of deserts as a place with no obstacles to hit, one must also consider rocky deserts which are a rather difficult terrain to navigate: making this search field very interesting for space exploration as well. The ability of such {{w|self-driving cars}} would improve much later, with this comic being the first with a direct reference to them. Later, self-driving cars became a [[:Category:Self-driving cars|recurring topic]] on xkcd.) But they cannot hold a conversation for five minutes. And she thus concludes that a cleverbot would be perfect for attending ''Burning Man''. | ||
| − | {{w|Burning Man}} is a week | + | {{w|Burning Man}} is a week long event held yearly in Black Rock City, Nevada. The festival encourages an artistic, anti-establishment philosophy and attracts a broad but devoted following combining hippies, anarchists, nudists, techno-utopians and survivialists. [http://www.burningman.com/art_of_burningman/art_cars_on_the_playa.html Shows of custom cars on the desert plain] is a big part of Burning Man, and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/michicat/2865986618/ mind games like chess] are a popular way to pass the time there. However, a common joke about Burning Man attendees is that they can only talk about Burning Man - hence why they can't hold a five minute conversation. |
A tradition of Burning Man is not to shower while you are there, mostly because [http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/water.html all water must be brought in from offsite.] And of course Cleverbot reacts badly in showers because if you do try to shower a Cleverbot, you end up with a shorted out computer. | A tradition of Burning Man is not to shower while you are there, mostly because [http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/water.html all water must be brought in from offsite.] And of course Cleverbot reacts badly in showers because if you do try to shower a Cleverbot, you end up with a shorted out computer. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
| − | :[Megan sits on | + | :[Megan sits on a wheeled computer chair at a desk. A laptop computer is on the desk playing some sort of media with audio. Megan is facing away from the computer addressing someone off panel.] |
:Megan: Did you see the Cleverbot-Cleverbot chat? | :Megan: Did you see the Cleverbot-Cleverbot chat? | ||
| − | : | + | :Computer: I am not a robot. I'm a unicorn. |
| − | :[In the next | + | :[In the next frameless panel, Megan has wheeled away from the desk and is now seating in front of Cueball who holds one hand up as he replies.] |
:Cueball: Yeah. It's hilarious, but it's just clumsily sampling a huge database of lines people have typed. Chatterbots still have a long way to go. | :Cueball: Yeah. It's hilarious, but it's just clumsily sampling a huge database of lines people have typed. Chatterbots still have a long way to go. | ||
| − | :[A close-up of Megan's head and shoulders. She has a hand to her chin and appears to be contemplating the last remark | + | :[A close-up of Megan's head and shoulders. She has a hand to her chin and appears to be contemplating the last remark.] |
:Megan: So... Computers have mastered playing chess and driving cars across the desert, but can't hold five minutes of normal conversation? | :Megan: So... Computers have mastered playing chess and driving cars across the desert, but can't hold five minutes of normal conversation? | ||
| − | :Cueball (off- | + | :Cueball (off-screen): Pretty much. |
| − | :[Both are shown again | + | :[Both are shown again, Cueball with his hands down.] |
:Megan: Is it just me, or have we created a Burning Man attendee? | :Megan: Is it just me, or have we created a Burning Man attendee? | ||
