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X Prize and IBM Announce $5 Million Artificial Intelligence Competition (theverge.com)

Posted by yaelk on from the robot-building dept.

The X Prize Foundation and IBM have just announced a global X Prize competition focusing on artificial intelligence. Teams will take part in the "IBM Watson A.I. X Prize: A Cognitive Computing Competition" in hopes of taking home the $5 million prize. Registration will open at the end of May, and the competition will end at the end of the 2020 TED conference.

18 comments

  1. I have this neat AI called Ultimate TROn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now, if only there was a catchy shorter version of the name.

    1. Re:I have this neat AI called Ultimate TROn by Marginal+Coward · · Score: 1

      Now, if only there was a catchy shorter version of the name.

      I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

  2. how will they know by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    that it's artificial and/or intelligent?

    1. Re:how will they know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Give it the same choices as Congress. If it makes the opposite choices, then we know it's intelligent.

  3. Filter out the Mechanical Turks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As long as they can stop the mechanical turks.

  4. Re:Who is behind the curtain? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously guy, wtf is with this huge concept of "SJW agenda" that arose out of gamergate? Somebody found a very convenient label to box in your hatred and keep you mentally isolated from anything approaching a rational thought.

  5. A competition to harm humanity the most. by sethstorm · · Score: 1

    Given AI's ability to cause long-lasting harm (destruction speed > creation speed) across a multitude of professions, this might not exactly be the best thing for humanity.

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
    1. Re:A competition to harm humanity the most. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The goals are open to the developer teams to define for themselves. The "AI" may turn out more like a fancy algorithm that applies evolutionary techniques towards drug development... but has crap tons of code so everyone equates big with "intelligent".

    2. Re:A competition to harm humanity the most. by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Humanity is a slowly-unfolding disaster. I wouldn't stress too much about somebody smarter showing up. Might give us that slice of perspective we're perpetually missing.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    3. Re:A competition to harm humanity the most. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given AI's ability to cause long-lasting harm (destruction speed > creation speed) across a multitude of professions, this might not exactly be the best thing for humanity.

      This is when socialism shines and why I think it is stupid how various governments are attempting to dismantle social welfare systems across the globe. AI will come sooner or later and we best be prepared for it. Pretty much, fully automated production, AI system controls, humans doing the things that AI cannot do and those without a job just enjoying life without the need to work to survive...

  6. Nomenclature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will they count me out if my AI's name is Trojan?

  7. Re:Who is behind the curtain? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Many of my ancestors fought for a single ideal: That all men are created equal. Even those who would deny it. Do enjoy this, good sir.

  8. American Idol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "But in past competitions, the X Prize Foundation typically laid out specific goals or requirements that had to be met. That's not the case this time around, because X Prize is allowing teams to define their own challenges."

    So this is going to be the 'American Idol' of AI, bunch of judges pointing and sneering at the submitted efforts, fuck that.

  9. Re:Who is behind the curtain? by Maritz · · Score: 1

    Ethics. Video game journalism. Fuck, you lot are boring.

    --
    I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  10. That's not the right way to do it by LudwigVMises · · Score: 0

    Regardless of the X Prize, AI will develop substantially over the next 4 years. This is just saying, "those of you working on AI, in addition to whatever commercial rewards you were already competing for, you're now competing for another $5M on top of that." I thought the purpose of these prizes was to spur innovation that would otherwise be unlikely to happen. Now they're just rewarding people for hitting points on Ray Kurzweil's chart that we were already going to hit.

  11. Winning conditions undefined by braindrainbahrain · · Score: 2

    The competition rules are beyond ambiguous, arbitrary, and subjective. According to the TFA, "...in past competitions, the X Prize Foundation typically laid out specific goals or requirements that had to be met. That's not the case this time around, because X Prize is allowing teams to define their own challenges." AI has plenty of competitions, some more or less formal (Turing test) and some informal (bragging rights for winning Jeopardy or a Go grand master), but this competition is meaningless.

  12. IBM is mostly artifical intelligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Never seen a contract or met anyone from IBM since the 1980's that was not 100% artificial in every way.

    Here in Texas, IBM has made hundreds of millions not performing to contract level requirements, and almost half the projects since 2004 have prematurely ended.

    If you do not work for IBM, then you have no idea what it does or how it makes money. For more information, please see 'Ponzi scheme' in the dictionary.