Can You Teach Computers To Understand Knock-Knock Jokes?
from the knock-knock dept
We were just discussing how difficult it is for computers to handle certain types of tasks, that are often much better suited for human intelligence. However, that won't stop some from trying to program computers to do all sorts of things, with the latest such effort focused on teaching a computer to understand knock-knock jokes. Knock-knock jokes, of course, are usually based on puns, that involve recognizing how a word is being misused for the sake of humor. It's easy (if groan-inducing) for humans, but extremely difficult for computers. The idea, it seems, is that figuring out how to teach computers to understand humor could go a long way in figuring out ways to program stronger artificial intelligence. At least that's the theory. Of course, this isn't the first time we've talked about computers and their senses of humor. Back in 2001, when some researchers set up a program to pull a Monty Python and find the world's funniest joke -- for a long time, the leading entry was written by a computer (though, eventually the computer-written joke was eclipsed by a human-written joke).
Reader Comments (rss)
(Flattened / Threaded)
Culture Specific
As multilingual people know, humor tends to be very culture-specific. I bet it would be harder to explain a knock-knock joke to a Chinese or Japanese speaker than to a computer.
Many jokes that are extremely funny to Americans make no sense, even to other English speakers.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
I'll write the other end.
public class JokeResponse
{
___public static void main(String[] args)
___{
______new JokeResponse().go();
___}
___public void go()
___{
______while (1) System.out.println("ha");
___}
}
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Don't forget that
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (Heinlein)
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
I'm going to patent the concept of teaching computers to understand knock-knock jokes! Better yet, how about I just patent the process of telling a knock-knock joke!
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
I actually laughed...
I like the computer generated joke: "What kind of murderer has moral fibre? a cereal killer." It got a laugh around the office, so I think it's possible to teach a computer humor to some degree.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
I doubt this one is difficult, I think it'd be harder to create a psychoanalytical computer than one that can essentially put together a simple sentence structure:
aka knock knock
who's there
x
x y?
x z
correlated x/y/z.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
"Knock knock!"
"Who's there?"
"9/11"
"9/11 who?"
"I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER FORGET!"
"I don't get it."
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Started fallowing the links...
Not an easy task since most sites outside of techdirt don't keep their files as far back as 2001 but I found the worlds funniest joke.
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator, in a calm soothing voice, says: "Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: "OK, now what?"
I was hoping for a Monty Python thing where I read it and had a heart attack.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re:
Get off your patent tirades. It's not funny.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
You forgot...
Who cares?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Easy
Computer prompts the user, "How do you keep a moron waiting?", user clicks on prompt and computer maxes CPU utilization to 100%.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
There is no such thing as the world's funniest joke, because everybody has a different sense of humor. Many things may be outright hilarious to one person and downright boring to another. There is no "absolute" type of funny.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re:
There is no such thing as the world's funniest joke, because everybody has a different sense of humor. Many things may be outright hilarious to one person and downright boring to another. There is no "absolute" type of funny.
That's the point... dufus.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
lateral thinking
Of course they want computers to have a sense of humor So come the machine wars robot V humans due around 2050 they can laugh as they kill us
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
CAN A COMPUTER BE TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN EMOTION
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re:
There is no such thing as the world's funniest joke, because everybody has a different sense of humor. Many things may be outright hilarious to one person and downright boring to another. There is no "absolute" type laptop AC adapter of funny.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Add Your Comment