IBM which is known for building supercomputers has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence powered machine that has the ability to debate with humans.
The machine was showcased on a stage in San Francisco when an artificial intelligence (AI) system engaged in the first-ever live, public debates with humans. A champion debater and IBM’s AI system, Project Debater, began by preparing arguments for and against the statement: “We should subsidize space exploration.” Both sides then delivered a four-minute opening statement, a four-minute rebuttal, and a two-minute summary.
Project Debater made an opening argument that supported the statement with facts, including the points that space exploration benefits humankind because it can help advance scientific discoveries and it inspires young people to think beyond themselves.
The Human, Noa Ovadia, the 2016 Israeli national debate champion, opposed the statement, arguing that there are better applications for government subsidies, including subsidies for scientific research here on Earth. After listening to Noa’s argument, Project Debater delivered a rebuttal speech, countering with the view that potential technological and economic benefits from space exploration outweigh another government spending. Following closing summaries from both sides, a snap poll showed that a majority of audience members thought Project Debater enriched their knowledge more than its human counterpart. The debated was adjudged to be a score-draw.
The machine drew from a library of “hundreds of millions” of documents – mostly newspaper articles and academic journals – to form its responses to a topic it was not prepared for beforehand.
IBM said, this spoke to the heart of its goal: augmenting human beings to make decisions quickly and with more data than ever before.
“I think it says actually very optimistic things about how humans respond to facts and figures,” said Noa Ovadia, one of the human debaters at the event. I think they are important, but they’re not everything when we make up our argumentation.”
