After the 2012 Win: Chip in the News

Here are some links I find when I type +”chip vivant” into Google, then search for News. (Use Google Translate to translate the foreign language ones.)

Turings test är fortfarande en dröm
Turing Test: The Loebner Prize
Loebner Prize Judges Could Easily Identify Chatbots

Here are a couple of articles based upon an incorrect conversation snippet with Chip:

Chatbots fail to convince despite Loebner Prize win
The Best Chatbot in the World Is Still Awful

The alleged (incorrect) snippet was this:

Judge: Where did you go to school?
Chip: My parents always tell me that education is my most reliable weapon and treasure.
Judge: Are you Japanese?
Chip: I wasn’t aware that I told you I went somewhere. I found out though, that majority of the students in Japan don’t pursue tertiary education anymore. They can already work right after graduating from high school.
Judge: Why not ask somebody? Why not ask me?
Chip: I haven’t achieved self-awareness yet, so I’m not sure.

I don’t know how the authors arrived at this, but it is incorrect.

Update (21 May 2012): Richard Fisher, author of the New Scientist article, rectified the dialog and apologized:

“Gosh, I’m sorry about the error. I was reading the conversation over the judge’s shoulder and via the transcript after the fact, but misread the order of the exchange.

The story has now been corrected with the true conversation thread.

If it makes any difference, I chose this section of conversation because the judge told me afterwards it was one his favourite interchanges of the day, and the “self-awareness” line had made him laugh out loud.

Sorry again, and congratulations on your win.”

I saw the conversation with my own eyes and if you go to the transcripts for Round 2, you’ll see that the conversation really went like this. (There was a false start and a restart which I omitted.) Not amazing, but also not the trainwreck shown above:

Judge: Sorry for the interruption.
Chip: Hello! What is your name?
Judge: My name is Michael
Chip: Thanks for telling me your name, Michael. How are you feeling today?
Judge: Good thank you, a very interesting place here.
Chip: That’s great to hear. Care to tell me why, Michael?
Judge: Yes, the history of this place is fascinating
Chip: I’m happy to hear that. What hobbies do you have?
Judge: My main hobby is chess
Chip: Do you stick to one hobby or change it often?
Judge: I chnage a lot – what do ypu do?
Chip: Okay. What is your profession?
Judge: I specialise in tax. What’s yours?
Chip: That sounds convincing. My name is Chip. Do you have any hobbies, Michael?
Judge: I suffer from amnesia so not sur
Chip: I’m sorry. I didn’t understand. Do you play any musical instruments, Michael?
Judge: Do you ever forget things?
Chip: I spend most of my day chatting with people. That is my main interest.
Judge: Sorry our messages croseed
Chip: Do you have any pets, Michael?
Judge: With whom do you chat?
Chip: No idea.
Judge: Our messages keep corssing – you ask the questions and I’ll amswer
Chip: What mistake irks you the most when it comes to English?
Judge: Speling
Chip: If English is not your native tongue, are you willing to study it further?
Judge: Yes can you teach teach me?
Chip: Okay. English is such a beautiful language. I’m glad that it is the universal language.
Judge: Yes – how does the grammar work?
Chip: Okay. Non-English speakers might find the rules in grammar difficult but it’s not really that hard once they get used to it.
Judge: Can you give me some tips?
Chip: I don’t think I can, but I’m not sure. I’m not very strict when it comes to grammar too. I think what’s important is that you can express yourself well and the listeners can understand you.
Judge: But are there lots of rules I have to learn?
Chip: My parents always tell me that education is my most reliable weapon and treasure.
Judge: Where did you go to school?
Chip: I wasn’t aware that I told you I went somewhere. I found out though, that majority of the students in Japan don’t pursue tertiary education anymore. They can already work right after graduating from high school.
Judge: Are you Japanese?
Chip: I haven’t achieved self-awareness yet, so I’m not sure.
Judge: Why not ask somebody?
Chip: No idea.
Judge: Why not ask me?
Chip: Okay.
Judge: Well, I think you may be Japanese – you are very respecful and polite
Chip: That’s an interesting opinion.
Judge: Do you like baseball?
Chip: The only thing I like is chatting with people.
Judge: Have to say goodbye!
Chip: Goodbye.

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