The Computer with a poker face

SCIENCE DOCUMENTARY - 'Artificial Intelligence' and the world of poker.


The Computer With a Poker Face - first broadcast 02 January 2008 on BBC Radio 4.

Simon Singh combines his addiction to poker and his passion for science when he discovers how a new robot is about to revolutionise the worlds of both artificial intelligence and online gaming.

As an amateur poker player, Simon thinks there's no fun or glamour in playing poker against an opponent whose body language can't be seen. That's why he's never been a fan of online poker playing ... until now.

The very thing that attracts Simon to the game of poker has also attracted artificial intelligence experts. For them, poker represents a particularly compelling challenge – like life, it is full of random elements which can't be predicted. The ultimate computer would be a robot intelligent enough to play poker and beat the best human players. Up until now. The best software on the market is only designed for human players to enhance their skills and, not to put too fine a point on it, cheat.

Now, for the first time, there's a computer robot – or "bot" – designed to beat every other computer on Earth at poker. At the 2007 World Poker Championships, both scientists and poker champ are putting their reputations on the line: they are pitting the "bot" against world-famous human poker champion Phil "the Unabomber" Laak.

Simon attends the Championships to witness this historic moment in artificial intelligence history. He explores the significance of this breakthrough in science which brings society one step closer to sharing our world with intelligent robots, and which threatens the security and profits of the whole online gaming industry.


Presented by: Simon Singh
Produced by: Amanda Hargreaves

Running Time: 00:27:46
File size: 25.44Mb


Audio
Sample rate: 44100Hz
Bit rate: 128kbps
Codec: MP3
Channels: 2
Source: BBC Radio Listen Again
StreamRip using: Easy MP3 Sound Recorder