Building a better ‘bot’: artificial intelligence helps human groups

Artificial intelligence doesn't have to be super-sophisticated to make a difference in people's lives, according to a new Yale University study. Even 'dumb AI' can help human groups. In a series of experiments using teams of human players and robotic AI players, the inclusion of 'bots' boosted the performance of human groups and the individual players, researchers found. The study appears in the May 18 edition of the journal Nature. 'Much of the current conversation about artificial intelligence has to do with whether AI is a substitute for human beings. We believe the conversation should be about AI as a complement to human beings,' said Nicholas Christakis, co-director of the Yale Institute for Network Science (YINS) and senior author of the study. Christakis is a professor of sociology, ecology & evolutionary biology, biomedical engineering, and medicine at Yale.