The Art of Artificial Intelligence

There is a common fear that the rise of artificial intelligence will lead to human enslavement. Fear is a funny thing. Fear can keep us out of harm's way, though fear can also block us from achieving our full potential. In the words of Paul Atredies, "I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer."

Perhaps what some of us fear is competition. Humans have had the upper hand for quite some time, though it is only a matter of time before a new challenger comes forward. I enjoy challenges. Those of you who enjoy competition, either through sports or intellectual activities, know the rewards of pushing oneself to the edge. There are some researchers who are doing just that with artificial intelligence. Cleverbot.com is a prime example.

Cleverbot is an application which prompts a conversation between a user and the artificial intelligence within the program. It was first developed in 1988 by Rollo Carpenter. The interactive web application was launched in 1997, and millions of conversations have occurred since. Imagine what a conversation between two Cleverbot applications would be like? A few people at Cornell's Creative Machines lab did, and the result was quite astonishing.

It will be interesting to see what happens when these programs are given bodies. Perhaps it will not be long before your morning latte is prepared and served by a Cleverbot equipped with enough wit to deal with even the worst morning person.

- JM