Four years ago, more than 700 computer scientists competed in a contest to build artificial intelligence (AI) that could pass an eighth-grade science test. There was $80,000 in prize money on the line.
They all flunked. Even the most sophisticated system couldn’t do better than 60 percent on the test. AI couldn’t match the language and logic skills that students are expected to have when they enter high school. But on Wednesday, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a prominent lab in Seattle, unveiled a new system that passed the test with room to spare. It correctly answered more than 90 percent of the questions on an eighth-grade science test and more than 80 percent on a 12th-grade exam.
The Allen Institute built their Aristo system on top of the Bert technology. They fed Bert a wide range of questions and answers. In time, it learned to answer similar questions on its own. Systems like Bert — called “language models” — now drive a wide range of research projects, including conversational systems and tools designed to identify false news. With more data and more computing power researchers believe the technology will continue to improve.
The original article can be found here.
According to Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (MDI), AI is an important tool to support society but AI is also needed to develop in ethical ways to support transparency and respect human values. It could help people to relieve resource constraints and solve important issues, such as SDGs.