Getting the funny

Why did the robot cross the road?

(He’d been programed by a chicken.)

Is this a joke or not? Dexter, the robot co-host on an Australian game show evaluated human compatibility. He looks pretty bright to me.(Canley/ Commons.wikimedia.org)

Robots are struggling against their nature to better companions to humans (Hey, anyone/ anything that runs by and picks up dog hair tumbleweeds without being asked, already gets my nod.)

Darn it! Humans are so demanding. You want a fancy piece of art in the style of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Seurat, or even Andy Warhol?  Easy, peasy. It’s done. That’s not enough?

Robots got talents.

What they don’t got is humor. 

“She said she wanted to die laughing. OK, happy to oblige. And now everyone is upset?” Robby, the Robot, carrying limp actress Anne Francis.(1958 MGM movie poster/USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)

During discussions on a previous post featuring funny vintage holiday greeting and postcards (here), a commenter pointed out that computers/robots/AI are quite able to create similar items – and provided a few examples: lovely examples of cupids, fairies, and New Year Babes. 

The AI produced images do a great job mimicking styles, and subject matter, but what I started wondering is could AI/a computer – by itself – generate completely original poses and scenes with the added little touches that do make these cards humorous to people?

You know, the tiny details like facial expressions, items with witty multiple meanings, the placement and poses of the figures? Add in witty contrast? Puns slipped in? Eye glasses?

Computers can create according to instructions, but do they understand why we laugh?

Can AI or robots synthesize humor?

Everyone says humor is very difficult for robots as these do not have a frame of reference to understand what makes “funny”.

Humans have context and references; robots can be clueless.

“Hey, I told the joke just the way the programers told me to. Now, Laugh. Laugh, I tell you!”(1919/USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)

For robots to be really accepted as helpful companions, people need to feel comfortable around them. A smile, a little joke, goes a long way.

Don’t give up hope! They are on it.

• “Robots given a sense of humor could kill because they think it’s funny” (Daily Mail, 2019)
• “No AI in humor: Robots struggle to understand a joke” (Korea Times, 2019)
• “Can a robot laugh with you? Shared laughter generation for empathetic spoken dialogue” (Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2022) Original research study/primary source
• “Robot simulates sense of humor” (Rocking Robots: Human and Machine, 2022.) This is a more readable version/analysis of the above study. “…In the shared-laughter model, a human initially laughs and the AI system responds with laughter as an empathetic response. This approach required designing three subsystems – one to detect laughter, a second to decide whether to laugh, and a third to choose the type of appropriate laughter….”
• “Types of humor that robots can play” (Science Direct, 2016. Computers in Human Behavior) Another serious study. One insight is that if a person hears the identical joke/performance by person and a robot, humans say the joke is funnier when told by the real person. But if the joke is disparaging (racist and sexist) the audience is less offended by the robot telling the joke than a human telling the identical joke.

So robots are learning to laugh and when to use which laugh – like little kids do: by paying attention to facial expressions, body language, and speaker’s speech patterns.

When to use a small chuckle, when to use a belly laugh in full mirth, and when a loud snort of laughter is totally inappropriate.

Quite an undertaking.

Many humans can’t figure all that out.

Robot. “Chariots of Wire.” Now this is just darn funny – but seriously, could this be your next car share or cab ride? Inquiring minds want to know, does the “driver” tell jokes and know where the good restaurants are? (Image: Steve Jurvetson/Commons.wikimedia.org)

What about “Turn about, fair play”? 

A robot that looks like a Lunar Rover has been taught to play golf. (If you managed to miss the story of Golfi, catch up here at Popular Science or here Daily Mail)

All I can say if a robot can be taught by humans to play, maybe robots can teach humans once again laugh.

• Why was the robot tired when it got home (It had a hard drive.)
• Why is a droid mechanic never lonely? (Because it’s always making new friends!)
• What do robots eat for snacks? (Micro-chips)
• What do you call a pirate robot? (Arrrrgh-2-D2)

Always leave them laughing

 (And thanks again to blogger, Disperser Tracks, for this rabbit hole to jump down)

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.