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Researcher Builds Machines That Daydream

Posted by timothy on from the free-thinkers-are-the-best-kind dept.

schliz writes "Murdoch University professor Graham Mann is developing algorithms to simulate 'free thinking' and emotion. He refutes the emotionless reason portrayed by Mr Spock, arguing that 'an intelligent system must have emotions built into it before it can function.' The algorithm can translate the 'feel' of Aesop's Fables based on Plutchick's Wheel of Emotions. In tests, it freely associated three stories: The Thirsty Pigeon; The Cat and the Cock; and The Wolf and the Crane, and when queried on the association, the machine responded: 'I felt sad for the bird.'"

5 of 271 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The Cat and the Cock by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thirsty Pigeon, Cat & Cock, Wolf, Crane all sound like painfully flexible kamasutra positions.
    No wonder the machine felt sad for the "bird".

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  2. Re:A rather small set of unit tests by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Funny

    A very similar experiment was run in Lomonosov (Moscow State University) in 1982.

    Their results, however, followed the pattern:

    '%NOUN% felt %EMOTION% for you.'

  3. Re:Building? by davester666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hello Eliza. It's been ages since I last chatted with you.

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  4. Re:A rather small set of unit tests by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, %EMOTION% felt %NOUN% for you!

  5. Output by stfvon007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I felt sad for the troll.

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