MIT's BeeMe Giant Social Experiment Puts a Human Under Internet Control (newatlas.com)

This Halloween scientists at MIT's Media Lab are embarking on a massive social experiment. From a report: Called BeeMe, the project will let internet users control a real human actor, suggesting, and collectively voting on, this person's every action. New Atlas reached out to Niccolo Pescetelli, one of the creators behind the experiment, to find out exactly what is about to happen. BeeMe is an immersive interactive game that will kick off at 11 pm US EST on Halloween night. Users will be able to participate by logging into the BeeMe website from which they will be able to suggest, and vote on, actions that direct an actor in real life. A live video stream on the website will allow users to see what the actor sees. On a superficial level BeeMe is a fun Halloween game, with a narrative telling the story of an evil artificial intelligence that has been accidentally released online. Users must collectively coordinate their efforts to direct the human actor to defeat this nefarious AI.

Comments

Sounds like a B movie!

[Joe_Dragon]

Sounds like a B movie!

Re:Sounds like a B movie!

[NicknameUnavailable]

Sounds like a B movie!

That depends on the vote, but a B movie would go something like:
-superglue shoe on head
-pull down pants
-put sharpie in butt
-stalk nicholas cage

Re:Sounds like a B movie!

[dgatwood]

Sounds like a B movie!

That depends on the vote, but a B movie would go something like: -superglue shoe on head -pull down pants -put sharpie in butt -stalk nicholas cage

I was thinking something similar, but I have far less faith in humanity on the Internet than you do, so I would expect the experiment to end with a criminal conviction within the first day, e.g.

23:00 - Go to a 7-11.
23:15 - Buy Twinkies and a bottle of Coke.
23:18 - Go home.
23:33 - Pick up your drill and high-speed wood bits.
23:34 - Go to the school playground across the street.
23:36 - Drill a hole through that tree just below waist level, using your largest bit.
23:38 - Go home.
...
00:15 - Go to sleep.
...
07:30 - Pick up the Twinkies and Coke.
07:31 - Go to the school playground across the street.
07:33 - Have sex with the tree.
07:35 - Tell the police officer that you were just doing what the voices in your head instructed you to do.
07:36 - Experiment ended.

but we might see something even more extreme:

23:00 - Go round up two of your friends.
23:45 - Drive to the police station in your friend's car.
23:47 - Tell the driver to stay in car with the car running, parked nose out.
23:49 - Instruct the other friend to distract the front desk police officer while you steal his gun.
23:50 - Run!
23:52 - Drive to the nearest 7-11.
23:55 - Demand all the money in the cash register.
23:58 - Drive to the next nearest 7-11.
00:01 - Demand all the money in the cash register.
00:04 - Drive to the next nearest 7-11.
00:07 - Demand all the money in the cash register.
...
00:43 - Shout "Screw you, Copper!" and draw your weapon.
00:44 - Experiment terminated.

I mean, I used to think you could always count on the kindness of strangers. Then, I learned about anonymity, and realized that you can always count on people to be complete a**holes on the Internet.

MIT Media Lab

[110010001000]

MIT Media Lab: wasting money and technology since 1985.

Oh lord

[Bobrick]

This will go well, I'm sure! How long before he's made to masturbate while doing Seig Heil's?

Re:Oh lord

[sinij]

How long? Roughly 5 seconds after 4chan learns about this project.

But can I have it my way?

[Nkwe]

It's been done: Subservient Chicken

Re:New excuse for a killing spree

[mark-t]

Actually, the guy apparently still has veto power.

Pescetelli is, of course, also aware of the internet's predilection for disturbing extremity and there are rules constraining the commands to ensure the safety, privacy and respect of all parties involved, including bystanders. So this won't devolve into a live-action version of Grand Theft Auto. However, Pescetelli does add that, "Everything else will be allowed."