Editing Loebner Prize (section)

{{short description|Annual AI competition}}
[[File:Hugh_Loebner.jpg | thumb|upright=0.7 | Loebner in 2004]]
The '''Loebner Prize''' was an annual competition in [[artificial intelligence]] that awarded prizes to the [[computer program]]s considered by the judges to be the most human-like. The format of the competition was that of a standard [[Turing test]]. In each round, a human judge simultaneously held textual conversations with a computer program and a human being via computer. Based upon the responses, the judge would attempt to determine which was which.

The contest was launched in 1990 by [[Hugh Loebner]] in conjunction with the [[Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies]], [[Massachusetts]], [[United States]]. In 2004 and 2005, it was held in Loebner's apartment in [[New York City]]. Within the field of artificial intelligence, the Loebner Prize is somewhat controversial; the most prominent critic, [[Marvin Minsky]], called it a publicity stunt that does not help the field along.<ref name=salon>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120720014628/http://www.salon.com/2003/02/26/loebner_part_one Artificial stupidity], ''Salon.com'', 16 February 2003</ref> Beginning in 2014,<ref name=exeter>''[https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/exeterblog/blog/2014/12/08/the-loebner-prize-a-turing-test-competition-at-bletchley-park/ The Loebner Prize, a Turing Test competition at Bletchley Park – The Exeter Blog]'', Retrieved 8 December 2014</ref> it was organised by the [[Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour|AISB]] at [[Bletchley Park]].<ref name=organisation>[http://aisb.org.uk/events/loebner-prize Loebner Prize], ''AISB Website'', Retrieved 23 January 2018</ref> It has also been associated with [[Flinders University]], [[Dartmouth College]], the [[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]] in [[London]], [[University of Reading]] and [[Ulster University]], [[Magee Campus]], [[Derry]], [[UK City of Culture]].

For the final 2019 competition, the format changed. There was no panel of judges. Instead, the chatbots were judged by the public and there were to be no human competitors.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wakefield |first1=Jane |title=The hobbyists competing to make AI human |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49578503 |accessdate=23 July 2020 |work=BBC News |date=14 September 2019}}</ref> The prize has been reported as defunct as of 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wakefield |first1=Jane |title=Robot Bores: AI-powered awkward first date |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54718671 |website=BBC News |access-date=22 September 2021 |date=1 November 2020}}</ref>