A really good comedian can bring a roomful of people to tears of laughter. We think of humor as one of the most uniquely human — and precious — legacies of our genetic inheritance. Shared laughter ties together people of all walks of life, all ages and economic circumstance, and it helps us realize our connection with each other.
What about an artificial intelligence? In a funny twist on the Turing test, would it be possible to create a computer program that could be as laugh inducing as a really good comedian?
What would it mean if such a machine were to exist — the first truly funny cyber-comedian? I mean, one that could play to packed houses, and slay them every night.
Would we feel that something sacrosanct, something uniquely human, had been lost?
Or would we just laugh, when we realize that the joke is on us?