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DARPA Files Patent On Predictive Simulation

Posted by Zonk on from the looking-to-the-past-for-the-future dept.

An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist has a post on a patent filed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), seeking to control a new potent predictive simulation. The patent outlines the process, which may someday allow researchers to accurately predict the behavior of observed subjects. They're not there yet, but not for lack of trying. It already works in some military war game scenarios, says the patent. 'Parunak says his model can successfully detect players' emotions, and then predict future actions accordingly. He believes the technique could one day be applied to predict the behavior of adversaries in military combat situations, competitive business tactics, and even multiplayer computer games. The patent application gives an interesting insight into DARPA's goals. The agency has pumped a lot of money into AI in recent years without reaping major rewards. One day computers may find a way to accurately second-guess humans, but I suspect we may have to wait a little longer yet.'"

12 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Riiiight... by femto · · Score: 1, Funny

    Dr Evil: Fire up the predictive simulation! We'll know our enemy's every move before they do!

    Igor: But Dr. Evil, they have patented predictive simulators and we will be violating their patent.

    Dr Evil: Damn. Get out the toy soldiers Igor.

    1. Re:Riiiight... by Mr2cents · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's what I didn't get: if you want to use something like that for war games, why patent it? Then you have to disclose how you did it, no? Betting that your enemy will not use this because of patent laws, is quite optimistic thinking.

      USA: Please stop using our wargame simulation technology, you're only making it worse.
      Enemy: Making it worse? How can it possibly get any worse? Coca-Cola! Coca-Cola!
      USA: And don't abuse our trademarks!

      --
      "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
    2. Re:Riiiight... by jamesh · · Score: 2, Funny

      But because of the patent, if the enemy wins the war then the USA can take them to court and seek a good amount of the spoils of war in compensation. Now that lawyer would be one earning his commission!

    3. Re:Riiiight... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2, Funny

      Skip this paragraph, it's filler to get around pointless Slashdot filtering: I'm typing this extra, useless sentence because, apparently, the Slashdot filter is choking on the above, claiming too few characters per line (35.2). Why that's a problem with this type of dialog, I don't know. Worse, it's probably not taking into consideration the extra CRs between lines for formatting reasons. It's clear the developers are trying to think too much, and, like developers of yore, have yet to learn they are in no position to predict every valid format of a message. Let's see if this is enough to bring the per-line character average up to snuff.

      Skip this one, too: Wow. Their filter is completely poorly implemented. Even these extra sentences don't count towards the average, for some reason. I now must debug the poorly-thought out filters of inferior programmers, just in an attempt to post this humerous post to their system. Shades of pearls before swing. Why even try?

      Nah...

      Dr. Evil: Fire up the predictive simulation! We'll know our enemy's every move before they do!

      Assistant: But Dr. Evil, they have one of these simulators, too! They may be using it on us!

      Dr. Evil: Irrelevant! Depress the activation button!

      Assistant: Yes, sir!

      Dr. Evil: I see...I see...I see they are poking about their computers. It looks like they're reading a screen. What are they reading?

      Assistant: Engaging simulation audio...

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "...and here we see Dr. Evil and his assistant in action in the simulator. Based on our previous intelligence and our analysis, it seems like they are doing...what?"

      Audio, person 2 in simulation: "Sir, it looks like they're running a simulation of us."

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "What are they saying? Turn it up."

      Audio, person 2 in simulation: "Yes, sir!"

      Audio, Audio from within the simulation of the simulation's simulation: "Irrelevant! Depress the activation button" "Yes, sir!" "I see...I see...I see they are poking about their computers. It looks like they're reading a screen. What are they reading?" "Engaging simulation audio..."

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "What?!?!! They're simulating us simulating them? They can see what we're doing?"

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "It appears so. This is a disturbing development." (General waves his hand, flipping off Dr. Evil in the "outside" world...)

      Dr. Evil: Well, I never! Can you run the simulation at greater than normal speed?

      Assistant: Yes. I can essentially fast forward at will.

      (simulation goes into fast forward, the "good guys" moving around like hyperactive ants...)

      Dr. Evil: Stop! Listen!

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "Fast forward the simulation! Let's see what Dr. Evil is up to."

      (General's assistant in simulation fast forwards the Dr. Evil simulation. Dr. Evil people start moving like ants.)

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "Stop!"

      Audio, person 2 in simulation: "It's about seven hours later, around 1:30 AM, Dr. Evil time. He's apparently gone to bed."

      Audio, person 1 in simulation: "He's not in his simulated bedroom. Where is he? FIND HIM!"

      Audio, person 2 in simulation: "Searching...here he is. He's in someone's house."

      Dr Evil within the General's simulation: "Hellooo?"

      13 Year Old Girl: "Hi! Come on in and make yourself at home. There's some beer in the kitchen."

      Dr Evil within the General's simulation: "Ok, that's...rad. I like beer and how it loosens one up."

      (Dr. Evil Simulation gets a beer from the fridge and pops it, taking a slurp. Some guy walks into the kitchen.)

      Strange man in simulation: Hi, why don't you put that beer down and have a seat right there at the counter.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  2. are you sure this is a good idea? by theheadlessrabbit · · Score: 5, Funny

    have these scientists not watched a single sci-fi movie. Military machines that can predict human behavior always lead to human enslavement. and the only way to stop them is by sending those machines back in time to stop us from building the machines in the first place.

    --
    -I only code in BASIC.-
  3. Obligatory... by ZombieRoboNinja · · Score: 3, Funny

    Step 1: Patented behavior-prediction computer
    Step 2: Beowulf cluster
    Step 3: ???
    Step 4: Psychohistory!

    1. Re:Obligatory... by Bearhouse · · Score: 2, Funny

      I thought you were going to say...

      Step 4. Scientology, (with oblig. Tom Cruise & Precog ref.)
      Step 5. Prophet!

  4. Prior art by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have already predicted with 100% precision that this patent will be granted.

  5. Interesting idea by Splab · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is not as far fetched as one might think - if you have ever played a game like counter strike and observed the players on a public server, you can see the follow a very predictive pattern.

  6. Re:The best thing to do by dbolger · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's exactly what the simulator WANTS you to do!

  7. I knew they were going to do that by niceone · · Score: 2, Funny

    My prior art told me yesterday.

    --
    ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
  8. I for one... by s-gen · · Score: 2, Funny

    *spit* on our new behaviour predicting overlord.

    Dang it.

    How did it manage to dodge that?