Bots still don't get irony

Researchers recently announced that through the use of data mining techniques, they've taught a computer program to recognize wordplay and simple jokes.

"The ability to appreciate humor is an enormous increment in subtlety," said researcher Tom Mantei from the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering in a statement. "You need to know a lot to 'get' humor — a computer does not find it easy."

That's what UC doctoral student Julia Taylor and professor Larry Mazlack have discovered in their project on data mining. They reported on their progress with the project at the American Association for Artificial Intelligence conference in Vancouver this week... |New robot thinks knock-knock jokes are funny - Ars Technica|

Which reminds me of the time a priest, a rabbi, and a computer programmer walked into a bar...