Heather Knight: Silicon-based comedy

95,854 views ・ 2011-01-21

TED


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Some of the greatest innovations
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and developments in the world
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often happen at the intersection of two fields.
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So tonight I'd like to tell you
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about the intersection that I'm most excited about at this very moment,
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which is entertainment and robotics.
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So if we're trying to make robots
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that can be more expressive
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and that can connect better with us in society,
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maybe we should look to some of the human professionals
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of artificial emotion and personality
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that occur in the dramatic arts.
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I'm also interested in creating new technologies for the arts
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and to attract people
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to science and technology.
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Some people in the last decade or two
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have started creating artwork with technology.
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With my new venture, Marilyn Monrobot,
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I would like to use art to create tech.
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01:05
(Laughter)
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So we're based in New York City.
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And if you're a performer that wants to collaborate
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with an adorable robot,
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or if you have a robot that needs entertainment representation,
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please contact me, the Bot-Agent.
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The bot, our rising celebrity,
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also has his own Twitter account: @robotinthewild.
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I'd like to introduce you to one of our first robots, Data.
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He's named after the Star Trek character.
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I think he's going to be super popular.
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We've got the robot --
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in his head is a database of a lot of jokes.
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Now each of these jokes is labeled with certain attributes.
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So it knows something about the subject; it knows about the length.
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It knows how much it's moving.
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And so it's going to try to watch your response.
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I actually have no idea what my robot is going to do today.
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(Laughter)
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It can also learn from you
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about the quality of its jokes
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and cater things, sort of like Netflix-style,
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over longer-term
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to different communities or audiences,
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children versus adults, different cultures.
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You can learn something from the robot
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about the community that you're in.
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And also I can use each one of you as the acting coach
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to our future robot companions.
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Some of you in this middle section --
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you have red/green paddles.
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If you like what's going on,
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show the green.
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If you don't like the subject or the performance,
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you can hold the red.
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Now don't be shy.
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It's just a robot.
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It doesn't have feelings ... yet.
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(Laughter)
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And the rest of you,
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you still count, you still matter.
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There's also a microphone
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that's listening to the aggregate laughter and applause
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and booing -- I hope not --
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to help make some of its next decisions.
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Right, so,
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let the robot stand-up comedy begin.
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Data: Hello TEDWomen.
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It's an honor to be here.
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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You guys are looking good out there.
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Ready for some jokes?
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Audience: Yeah.
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Data: Here's the first one.
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Right, so,
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a doctor says to his patient,
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"I have bad news and worse news.
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The bad news is that you only have 24 hours to live."
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"That's terrible," said the patient.
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"How can the news possibly be worse?"
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"I've been trying to contact you since yesterday."
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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The Swiss have an interesting army. Five hundred years without a war.
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Heather Knight: He's talking about the Swiss.
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Data: Pretty lucky for them.
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Ever see that little Swiss Army knife
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they have to fight with?
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"Come on buddy, I have the toe clippers right here.
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You get past me,
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the guy behind me has a spoon."
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(Laughter)
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HK: He's a French robot.
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Data: A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods.
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One of them falls to the ground.
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He does not seem to be breathing.
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The other guy whips out his cell phone
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and calls 911.
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He gasps to the operator, "My friend is dead.
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What can I do?"
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The operator says, "Just take it easy.
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I can help.
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First, let's make sure he's dead."
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There is a silence,
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and the operator hears a shot.
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The guy's voice comes back on the line,
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"Okay, now what?"
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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04:53
Question: Why is television called a medium?
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Anyone?
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Because it's neither rare nor well done.
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But to be completely honest with you,
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I kind of love television.
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Any of you like television? Audience: Yes.
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Data: I find it incredibly educational.
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Actually, as soon as someone turns it on,
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I go into the other room and read.
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(Laughter)
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That's all for now.
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Was that okay for my first time?
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05:24
(Applause)
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You've been a great audience.
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05:35
Thank you.
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HK: Yay.
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05:39
(Applause)
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05:43
So this is actually the first time
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we've ever done live audience feedback to a performance.
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So thank you all for being a part of it.
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There's a lot more to come.
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And we hope to learn a lot about robot expression.
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Thank you very much.
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05:57
(Applause)
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