2008 Woodie Awards
A computer program that reads your thoughts
Website of the week: 20Q.net
Eric Goodwin
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Can a computer program read your thoughts? According to 20Q.net (http://www.20q.net), the answer is yes.
If the Web site's name sounds familiar, that's because it is brought to you by the same minds behind the popular Pocket 20Q hand-held game. Both the online game and the small toy are driven by the same engine: an artificial intelligence algorithm that can guess what you're thinking in 20 questions; a modern twist on an old parlor game.
On 20Q.net, you can choose to compete against the artificial intelligence in ten categories including sports, television, movies and even Harry Potter.
Think you can stump the program? It's not impossible. According to 20Q.net's statistics, the algorithm can predict what you're thinking 80 percent of the time after asking 20 questions. But after you play a few times, you'll be surprised at how often it's correct.
What's also amazing is that the artificial intelligence "learns" from each game it plays. After you complete a round, 20Q.net shows you the contradictions it detects in your responses versus the answers other players have given it. By cataloging every player's answers, the program becomes more proficient at predicting answers.
Does this mean that in a few years machines will gain the intelligence to overthrow mankind? Stay tuned ...
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© 2007, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
If the Web site's name sounds familiar, that's because it is brought to you by the same minds behind the popular Pocket 20Q hand-held game. Both the online game and the small toy are driven by the same engine: an artificial intelligence algorithm that can guess what you're thinking in 20 questions; a modern twist on an old parlor game.
On 20Q.net, you can choose to compete against the artificial intelligence in ten categories including sports, television, movies and even Harry Potter.
Think you can stump the program? It's not impossible. According to 20Q.net's statistics, the algorithm can predict what you're thinking 80 percent of the time after asking 20 questions. But after you play a few times, you'll be surprised at how often it's correct.
What's also amazing is that the artificial intelligence "learns" from each game it plays. After you complete a round, 20Q.net shows you the contradictions it detects in your responses versus the answers other players have given it. By cataloging every player's answers, the program becomes more proficient at predicting answers.
Does this mean that in a few years machines will gain the intelligence to overthrow mankind? Stay tuned ...
___
© 2007, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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