There’s a famous un-PC rock&roll musician’s gag from the 1980’s . . . Q. “Which is more intelligent, a drum-machine or a drummer?” A. “A drum-machine. You only have to punch in the information once.” Jokes aside, the heated scholarly debate rolls on (and on) about whether a machine can ever be truly ‘intelligent’. Perhaps […]
Tag: AI
Gamification and deGamification
The origin of the word ‘Gamification’ is not entirely certain, but some attribute it to professor Richard Bartle FRSA of the School of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Essex, UK who was working on MUD circa 1980. The exact meaning of the word is slightly fuzzy around the edges too – […]
Horrors: ‘Art’ in Artificial (Intelligence) Poetry
William Topaz McGonagall who died in 1902, is widely regarded as the writer of the worst poetry in the English language. As an example, see this video featuring Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) interpreting the poem ‘Stirling Castle’. McGonagall has now become one of the very few famous poets to have a computer programme […]
The ACME Country-Music Generator
Amazing as it may seem, algorithmic methods for generating music go back at least as far as 1757 (see: Musikalisches Würfelspiel). But algorithmic methods for generating US ‘Country Music’ are far more recent. Indeed, Jim Suruda and professor Norman Carver of the Department of Computer Science, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL, USA, are still in […]
Can Computers Create Humour?
Can Computers Create Humour? If the following jokes make you laugh, then the answer maybe yes. • What is the difference between a desolate amusement and a smart impact ? One is a bleak show, the other is a chic blow. • What kind of a temperature is a son ? A boy-ling […]