The Loebner Prize will be hosted by the University of Exeter.
International prize brings future of artificial intelligence to Exeter
It is a proposition straight from the realms of sci-fi – can we create machines that imitate humans so well that we can no longer tell the difference? Far from being a concern for the far-off future, this question is already being put to the test in an international competition, set to come to the South West for the first time in its history.
The University of Exeter will host the 2011 Loebner Prize. Named after its founder, American philanthropist Hugh Loebner, the event will offer prizes up to £20,000 and challenges computer programmers to create software that can provide human-like responses to questions posed by a panel of judges.
Designed around an artificial intelligence test created by Alan Turing, recognised as the father of modern computing and the mathematician who was instrumental in cracking the Enigma code, the Prize attracts entries from all over the world.
Entries are now being judged and the four finalists will be announced in July. Events at the University of Exeter will include a major computing conference for schools on 6 July and a high-profile final on 19 October.
Dr Ed Keedwell, from the University of Exeter’s College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, said: “It is very exciting that this competition is coming to Exeter. It has been held at some very prestigious academic institutions and attracts some of the best artificial intelligence programs in the world.
“This is a really exciting area of computer science and artificial intelligence and it’s bound to be a fascinating event.”
Date: 27 June 2011
