Teaching Computers Through Gameplay
August 12 2008 / by justinelee
Category: Entertainment Year: General Rating: 3
Human computation, the basis of which is discovering what tasks humans can do to make computers smarter, may someday be responsible for making computers not only smarter, but significantly smarter than humans.
Luis von Ahn, a Computer Science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and the inventor of the prevalent internet tool CAPTCHA, has made it his life to study human computation.
Human computation has many applications. For example, computers aren’t very good at identifying what appears in an image, but humans are. To make online image searches more accurate, von Ahn developed the ESP game, which led to the creation of Google’s Image Labeler, and finally the compilation of five different games: Games With A Purpose (GWAP.com).
The model of game play works well. The games are fun, foster bonds and competition, and are free. These are all qualities that have attracted high numbers of players – thus, creating a strong effort to make not only image searches more durable, but also bring computers closer to thinking like humans.
The question is, when will all our game playing lead to a smarter computer that no longer needs our help?
In June 2006, von Ahn was invited to the Google campus to give a TechTalk lecture on human computation and brought up some interesting points about the bond and tension between humans and machines:
At one point von Ahn jokes that the interactions he’s created through GWAP could lead to a world similar to the one depicted in The Matrix; that is, one in which machines rule the universe and generate power from human brains.
Although his speculation appeared light-hearted, when I ask von Ahn what he thinks now, he asserts: “I completely believe computers will become every bit as intelligent as humans, possibly even more intelligent. I don’t see why not: the brain is a machine, we just don’t understand how it works yet.”
Comment Thread (3 Responses)
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This is an interesting idea. I’m surprised nobody else has thought of it before. Thanks for informing us. I may go take a look at the games, myself.
Posted by: fantasywriter August 13, 2008
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I can think of someone who thought of a learning computer long ago. Joshua: Shall we play a game? David Lightman: Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War.
Posted by: martymcfly August 13, 2008
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I love the way this Von Ann guy thinks. Great idea. I think I will play a game or two myself.
Posted by: Mielle Sullivan August 14, 2008
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