Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 21 June 2018
IBM computer proves formidable against 2 human debaters

By MATT O'BRIEN space exploration being
AP Technology Writer the pinnacle of human
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An achievement.
argumentative computer Ovadia, a national debate
proved formidable against champion in Israel, said she
two human debaters as was impressed by its flu-
IBM gave its first public ency in language and abil-
demonstration of new arti- ity to construct sentences.
ficial intelligence technol- She said the computer was
ogy it's been working on for able to "get to the bottom
more than five years. line of my arguments" and
The new skills show that respond to them.
computers are getting bet- Among several outside ex-
ter at mastering human perts IBM invited to attend
language and speech. Project Debater's debut
The computer made its was Chris Reed, who di-
case for government-sub- rects the Centre for Argu-
sidized space research by ment Technology at the
pulling in evidence from its University of Dundee in
huge internal repository of Scotland. Reed said he was
newspapers, journals and impressed by its grasp of
other sources. After deliv- Noa Ovadia, left, and Dan Zafrir, right, prepare for their debate against the IBM Project Debater, "procatalepsis" — a rhetori-
ering opening arguments, Monday, June 18, 2018, in San Francisco. cal technique that involves
the computer listened to Associated Press anticipating an opponent's
a professional human de- argument and preemptive-
bater's counter-argument in a 5-foot-tall machine ning a giant trove of data in new ground by creating a ly rebutting it.
and spent four minutes re- shaped like a monolith with search of factoids, IBM's lat- system that tackles deeper As expected, the machine
butting it. TV screens on its sides. Such est project taps into several human practices of rheto- tends to be better than hu-
The company unveiled research would enrich the more complex branches ric and analysis, and how mans at bringing in num-
its Project Debater in San human mind, inspire young of AI. Search engine algo- they're used to discuss big bers and other detailed
Francisco on Monday. IBM people and be a "very rithms used by Google and questions whose answers supporting evidence. It's
selected possible topics sound investment," it said, Microsoft's Bing use similar aren't always clear. also able to latch onto the
based on whether they making it more important technology to digest and "If you think of the rules of most salient and attention-
were debatable, but nei- even than good roads, summarize written content debate, they're far more getting elements of an ar-
ther the computer nor the schools or health care. and compose new para- open-ended than the rules gument, and can even
human debaters knew the After closing arguments it graphs. Voice assistants of a board game," said Ra- deliver some self-referential
topic in advance. Nonethe- moved on to a second de- such as Amazon's Alexa rely nit Aharonov, who manag- jokes about being a com-
less, the computer champi- bate about telemedicine. on listening comprehension es the debater project. puter.
oned the topic fiercely with An IBM research team to answer questions posed IBM doesn't try to declare But it lacks tact, researchers
just a few awkward gaps in based in Israel began work- by people. Google recent- a winner of the debates, said. Sometimes the jokes
reasoning. ing on the project not long ly demonstrated an eerily but Noa Ovadia, one of don't come out right. And
"Subsidizing space explo- after IBM's Watson comput- human-like voice assistant the human debaters, said on Monday, some of the
ration is like investing in re- er beat two human quiz- that can call hair salons or the computer was a for- sources it cited — such as
ally good tires," argued masters on a "Jeopardy" restaurants to make ap- midable opponent even a German official and an
the computer system, its challenge in 2011. pointments. if it made a few too many Arab sheikh — didn't seem
female voice embodied But rather than just scan- But IBM says it's breaking blanket statements about particularly germane.q

Alexa, send up breakfast:

Amazon launches Echo for hotels

service through the voice Alexa for workplaces, and nearby restaurant recom-
assistant, ask for more tow- has struck deals to place mendations or pool hours.
els or get restaurant recom- Alexa in cars and refrigera- Other tasks that Alexa for
mendations without having tors. Alexa has become an Hospitality can do include
to pick up the phone and important part of Amazon's checking guests out of their
call the front desk. Marriott business because it keeps room, turning on the lights
has signed up for the ser- users attached to Ama- or playing lullabies to help
vice, and will place Ama- zon services, such as music them fall asleep.
zon Echo smart speakers streaming. Later this year, Amazon
in 10 hotels this summer, Amazon said data from will allow hotel guests to
In this Sept. 27, 2017, file photo, a new Amazon Echo is displayed including its Westin and St. hotel guests will be delet- link their Amazon.com ac-
during a program announcing several new Amazon products
by the company, in Seattle. Regis brands. ed daily, and Marriott said count to Alexa so they can
Associated Press It is another way for Ama- those who don't want an listen to their music playlists
zon to sell its voice assistant Echo device in their room or audio books during their
By JOSEPH PISANI cierge. and devices to businesses can ask to have it removed. stay. Shopping, however,
AP Retail Writer Amazon has launched a and get Alexa in front of Hotels will be able to cus- won't be allowed through
NEW YORK (AP) — Alexa version of Alexa for hotels more customers. Amazon tomize the responses Alexa the hotel version of Alexa,
has a new job: hotel con- that lets guests order room already sells a version of gives their guests, such as Amazon said.q