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CMU Web-Scraping Learns English, One Word At a Time

Posted by timothy on from the hao-ubowt-hahmnimz dept.

blee37 writes "Researchers at Carnegie Mellon have developed a web-scraping AI program that never dies. It runs continuously, extracting information from the web and using that information to learn more about the English language. The idea is for a never ending learner like this to one day be able to become conversant in the English language." It's not that the program couldn't stop running; the idea is that there's no fixed end-point. Rather, its progress in categorizing complex word relationships is the object of the research. See also CMU's "Read the Web" research project site.

10 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Uh oh... by hampton · · Score: 5, Funny

    What happens when it discovers lolcats?

    1. Re:Uh oh... by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh FFS, I just got RickRolled on Slashdot. >_

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    2. Re:Uh oh... by icepick72 · · Score: 2, Funny

      What happens when it discovers /.? It will be able to argue incomprehensibly and illogically for hours on end.

  2. It could be worse by davidwr · · Score: 2, Funny

    It could be scraping SMS messages.

    On the up-side, at least then it would learn teen-speak.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  3. Will be this article read by that program? by nereid666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am the the Carnie Mellon reader, I have discovered with this article that I am robot.

    --
    Damia
  4. lolwut? by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why do I get the feeling that the bot's first words are going to be OMGWTFBBQ?

    --
    Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  5. while (1) by Lije+Baley · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, I've coded an infinite loop a few times, how come I never made the headlines on Slashdot?

    --
    Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
  6. Re:do... by JWSmythe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think I see the problem with their code.

    while (1){
        read_the_web();
      };
     
      explain_everything();

    All they've done is reproduce the typical office worker. It just sits around and surfs the net all day, without coming back with an answer.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  7. The quality of the teachers is important by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I guess bucket didn't get any choice where to go to school either.

  8. Wikipedia by the+person+standing · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let it read wikipedia - not get it poisoned by twitter etc!