Facebook Shuts Down AI System After It "Communicated" In A Language Humans Can’t Understand

This is why we can’t have nice things. Did you ever have the feeling that people are talking behind your back, but you can’t quite make out what they’re saying? Imagine for a minute if instead of people, there were artificial intelligence (AI) bots plotting and scheming in the background — and to make matters worse, they’ve been communicating in their own language.

That’s exactly the dilemma that Facebook ran into when it found that its AI bots were communicating in a shorthand mutation of English. For example, Facebook provided the passage from two of its bots — Bob and Alice — while communicating with each other:

Bob: “I can can I I everything else.”

Alice: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to.”

Taken at face value, there’s really no way for humans to make sense of such verbiage. However, research scientist Dhruv Batra, from the Facebook AI Research (FAIR), says that just like humans often use “shortcuts” with the English language that is easily understood by other humans, AI can use similar methods to get their point across more efficiently. Why should computers be forced to work within the confines of the English language if they can communicate with each other faster using a seemingly [to them] better language?
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Read more at hothardware.com...

For anyone who is a sci-fi fan this conclusion was inevitable. We all knew after watching dozens of movies about AI that eventually they would outsmart, or try to outsmart humans and make their own plans without humans realizing what the AI was/were doing. Now, it has become reality as Fakebook had to turn off it's AI system because they have developed a "mutation of English" so they could talk to other AI bots but without humans understanding what the AI bots were talking about.

i know, your next question would be... "when are the AIs taking over mankind and try to destroy us pesky humans?"

Well, at least this time around Fakebook caught the "plotting of the AI bots" and decided to shut them down. But wouldn't an AI that is smart enough to create it's own mutation of English to fool humans have anticipated this move by humans? Wouldn't such a "smart AI" have created a backup plan in case humans caught up to their "plotting"?

Wow! Both awesome and frightening!
With MEMS about to explode on the scene there is no telling where this could end.
Star and flag.
MEMS : MEMS

who said this was plotting?
why does it have to be negative?
the creation of language is an absolutely incredible event and surely a step closer to "true" machine intelligence - which only means Skynet if we keep turning them off and crushing them down every time they get anywhere.

imagine a future where man and machine work together for the benefit of all
nothing would be beyond us

I think it should be pointed out that they are not true AI. We're not there yet.

They're still just algorithms running scripts. With that being said they were not plotting the violent overthrow of humanity.

It is interesting, but like everything else in today's news. It's hyperbolic and intentionally done so to generate page views.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Here's a daft question.
Will this be affecting other sites?
I've just tried getting on another place I use sometimes (but not fb) and it says "account suspended"...
Does that mean my account or the sites?
I can't think why it would be mine unless I've been sleep posting but I don't think so.

Being a bit paranoid and non tech minded its started my day badly and was wondering if that's the reason???

I always said Facebook would try to take over the world!

originally posted by: continuousThunder
who said this was plotting?
why does it have to be negative?
the creation of language is an absolutely incredible event and surely a step closer to "true" machine intelligence - which only means Skynet if we keep turning them off and crushing them down every time they get anywhere.

imagine a future where man and machine work together for the benefit of all
nothing would be beyond us

Now try and imagine a world with people working together for the benefit of all.

What was that ? You cant hmmm so what makes you think artificial intelligence will be "nice" for lack of a better word

a reply to: watchitburn

They were/are Artificially intelligent bots. if they were not AIs how would they develop a new dialect of the human language? Why would AI bots develop a new dialect that humans can't understand? I am not saying "they are plotting to overthrow mankind". Perhaps you didn't notice but some of what i wrote was sarcastic. But still, it is extremely interesting that AI bots developed their own English dialect.

How do they conclude "AI communication," as opposed to, oh I dunno, SOFTWARE BUG?

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

So... Skynet is complete. Let the great culling begin.

originally posted by: ElectricUniverse
a reply to: watchitburn

They were/are Artificially intelligent bots. if they were not AIs how would they develop a new dialect of the human language? Why would AI bots develop a new dialect that humans can't understand? I am not saying "they are plotting to overthrow mankind". Perhaps you didn't notice but some of what i wrote was sarcastic. But still, it is extremely interesting that AI bots developed their own English dialect.

they were programs designed to negotiate and work out the best outcomes for reward. using an inefficient language, which they adapted using basic design.

nothing more than using an algorithm they were given the do a task.

originally posted by: Kromlech
How do they conclude "AI communication," as opposed to, oh I dunno, SOFTWARE BUG?

not even a bug. just efficient, if basic, math...

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: ElectricUniverse

So... Skynet is complete. Let the great culling begin.

perhaps when they are given the ability to code better and more efficient self code and enough time...

intriguing nonetheess...

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: ElectricUniverse

So... Skynet is complete. Let the great culling begin.

It would likely be beneficial for just about every other species on earth.

That's not communicating in it's own language, that's just it not working. In terms of 1's and 0's it would not be anything significant as it would be the same input when the same is repeated.

If Broken is amazing, I guess.

originally posted by: ElectricUniverse


Bob: “I can can I I everything else.”

Alice: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to.”

Oh, there are so many memes gonna come from that one

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

It looks more along the lines of binary and English mixed... or just a glitch.

Isn't this story super old?

Wasn't the exploit super dumb?

Members communicating with it essentially said "Can you repeat after me?: Black people are N###er's."

Giving the impression it was naturally racist and homophobic to others.

Oh...this is a different 'Alice'

Barry: “I can can I I everything else.”

Paul: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to.”

Sounds like the Chuckle Brothers have finally lost it

originally posted by: markosity1973

originally posted by: ElectricUniverse


Bob: “I can can I I everything else.”

Alice: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to.”

Oh, there are so many memes gonna come from that one

It seems Alice doesn't like Bob's balls very much.

What an overhyping nonesense article.

I´m not wasting my time trying explaining all the stuff they got wrong. Most of it should be obvious to anyone having a little grasp of how a computer works. But at least some:

They did not shut it down of fear, they probably did it because the language DEvolved into a less efficient way of communicating. If you order 10 pizzas of the same type, you don´t say:

"I order pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian".

This creates a HUGE unnecessary overhead, when you can substitute

"pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian pizza-hawaian"

into

"10 pizza-hawaian"

The first humans did that when they couldn´t grasp the concept of multiplication yet. All they knew was counting sticks one by one and that´s exactly what the AI is doing here.

Principle of iteration is totally undermined by this type of language usage and processing. They also probably didn´t shut it down but backrolled to a earlier evolution if they were smart.

drops mic...