Bot Contest

Here I'll be posting information on various Bot contests that challenge and test a Bot's AI and realism. Feel free to post comments and updates on contests, as well as announcements for new contests.

Posts 1,001 - 1,012 of 4,091
View Contest Winners in the Hall of Fame.


22 years ago #1001
Ladydyke, that's probably the best offer yet! But now I'm curious, and would like to say that I am a lesbian trapped in a man's body.

22 years ago #1002
I've sometimes thought the same thing.

Welcome, Robby. It's good to have you on the Forge. As you know, I eventually did contact you and Hugh Loebner, but I gave the contest email a thorough chance first. I was a bit confused at the time as to how involved you were with the contest.

I understand more about how the Loebner Contest works now. In the world of AI, it's a big name, and I expected a really slick affair, what with the media attention and events. But a volunteer-based non-profit spare-time venture is more akin to the reality of it. In my mind that doesnt excuse the lack of information and harsh replies to requests for it, but it does help to explain it. I find it odd that most people in AI are essentially starving artists, barely making ends meet. One day we'll look back on this and laugh at the idea that AI didnt make money. It'll be like the fellow who couldnt imagine any use for computers (does anyone know that great quote?).

Richard Wallace suggested that I volunteer to host the Loebner one year. Though I wouldnt mind it, and would certainly improve the way things are run, I'm not good at raising money, and certainly my involvement would mean the PF would be out due to conflict of interest.

I agree with Skysaw. The finals of the Loebner seem to be really well done, and with more entries, the selection of the finalists needs to be improved. Perhaps it can be part of a yearlong analysis done via the Turing Hub at SciTrek and online. There will be plenty of transcripts produced by that.

22 years ago #1003
"When your emails went unanswered that were sent to contest@mimetics.org, why not write to me and try to sort it out?"

I answered the email sent to me. Seemed to make sense at the time, since that's what they were asking of me. When it went ignored, I just assumed I had somehow not shown full RESPECT. (Not my capitalization)

22 years ago #1004
Hi Benji,

Thanks for everything. Once again, I'm not trying to justify anyone else's behavior with my explanations. I can only speak for myself. If you get any more threatening emails from Neil, tell him I'm on my way over there to "work him over" if that's what it takes

I really have learned a lot from this though.
1) my music is more important than my job.
2) my wife and my family are more important than anything.
3) never shout theatre in a crowded fire.

One more thing and I'll leave you folks alone for a while and that is, I've worked as a computer programmer for about 25 years and have met all kinds. In life, and in business, people are never perfect. I've dealt with all sorts and Neil has been great to me in a number of ways that make me indebted to him, but he has the worst email communications skills of anyone I've ever dealt with in my life. I don't know why, but I have to accept it to get paid. You are not alone in receiving cryptic seemingly threatening emails. On the telephone however, he is like a totally different guy. Go figure.

As Scarlet Ohara would say, "tomorrow is another day."

And from the movie Buckaroo Bonzai, Yoyodyne Propulsion Laboratory: "The future begins tomorrow!"

Live Long and Prosper,

Robby.

22 years ago #1005
If you feel like a giggle, please read Dr. Thomas Whalen's account of his entry in the 1995 Loebner Contest which Hugh held at his art club in New York
http://cybermecha.com/Cybernetics/Thom.html

Best Regards,

Robby.

22 years ago #1006
I look forward to reading that. I have to run in a minute. Robby, I'm glad you made such great discoveries. I also know people who write terrible emails but who are great to talk to in real life. Somehow they just dont translate well into a new medium.

Anyways, to those here who are still chagrinned at the competition, Robby has agreed to the Loebner Agreement. It wasnt at all directed at him, but he can act as a friendly representative from Mimetics. Thank you.

And finally, you do music?

22 years ago #1007
From that document, Robby, I want to point out to botmasters looking to improve human chats...
"If you look at Dale Carnegie, an expert in making small talk to strangers, he states that strangers talk about (in this approximate order):
1. their names
2. where they live
3. where they used to live
4. people that they know in common
5. the weather
6. sports
7. politics
8. books, television, movies and music
9. hobbies"

22 years ago #1008
Hi Benji,

Yes, I do music I invite you to check out my warez at http://www.mp3.com/Robitron

Cheers, and have a great weekend!

Robby.

22 years ago #1009
Concerning the agreement what still hasn't been answered is how the finalist were selected. The request was made several days ago and according to the Loebner committee it would be provided:
"Details on the process by which the finalists were chosen will be posted on the web site tomorrow."

That tomorrow date would have been October 2.

Chris

22 years ago #1010
I would like to make a follow up to the above post written by me. That post as well as any negative comments I've made was directed to the Loebner committee and was not directed to Robby Garner. Robby is not a part of the Loebner committee.

Chris

22 years ago #1011
Congrats Butterfly!

22 years ago #1012
Thanks Chris, I really appreciate that. Thanks for the way all of you have been so supportive to me, and for just plain caring about things.

I was given the password and access codes for the loebner-atlanta.org web page on friday and was given carte blanche to put what I want to on there, so I'll try to flesh it out a bit and put some more content in there. It might be a couple of days before I get back to it, I've got to go to Norcross tomorrow and start loading computers with bots, and then go down to GSU and try to figure out how we're going to do some kind of web cast, I'm sure it will be a learning experience!

The committee used a set of performance metrics to rate all the bots they evaluated. It wasn't just randomly done. The 8 finalists were the ones that had the highest scores. I saw an early draft of the things they were looking for, and it was much like the Chatterbox Challenge criteria in many ways. There was not a 10 questions aspect, but things were looked at like how well the bots responded when taken off subject, and other behavior factors.

One problem with making all of that info public is that some very large companies didn't perform that well, and they might not appreciate us telling the world how poorly they did. But if it is decided not to make the selection results public, I will try to at least get the criteria posted, and if possible provide the scores privately to individuals who just want the feedback, I know how valuable that is.

Robby.


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