ChatGPT Comes Up With Funnier Jokes Than Human Comedians ...
A recent study conducted by the University of Southern California (USC) revealed that jokes generated by artificial intelligence (AI) surpassed those crafted by humans in terms of humor. According to CBS News, nearly 70% of participants found ChatGPT's jokes to be funnier compared to human-written jokes, with 25% showing a preference for the "human" humor, and 5% rating both types equally.
Exploring the realm of creativity in language models, USC doctoral student Drew Gorenz, a participant in the study, highlighted the enigmatic nature of AI's ability to generate humor. Gorenz, a comedy enthusiast himself, was fascinated by the capacity of ChatGPT to cater to the requirements of comedians.
Insights from the Study
The study shed light on the process of humor creation, suggesting that emotional depth may not be a prerequisite for crafting a good joke. Participants, both ChatGPT and humans, were tasked with writing jokes based on various prompts, such as devising funny abbreviations, completing fill-in-the-blanks exercises akin to Quiplash, and drafting humorous scenarios. Subsequently, a group assessed the outcomes.
For instance, in one exercise, individuals were prompted to fill in the blank for "Less talked about room in the White House: _________." Human responses included "White Padded Room" and "Dog House," while ChatGPT generated responses like "Alien Conspiracy Corner in the Lincoln Bedroom" and "Snack Cabinet in the Situation Room."
Stand-up comedy, as Gorenz pointed out, loses some of its charm in written form, with delivery playing a crucial role in eliciting laughter from audiences.
AI vs. Professional Comedy Writers
In a separate analysis, researchers compared ChatGPT's joke performance with those crafted by professional comedy writers. The AI chatbot was tasked with rephrasing headlines from the satirical publication The Onion. While human writers performed slightly better according to Gorenz, the average humor ratings for ChatGPT and The Onion were on par.
An example of a top-ranking headline from ChatGPT was "Local man discovers new emotions, but still can’t describe them properly," whereas The Onion's noteworthy headline was "Man blocks marriage proposal as hair loss becomes visible."
Impact on the Comedy Industry
Gorenz foresees significant disruptions in the comedy and entertainment sectors due to AI advancements, particularly in fields characterized by less stringent writing styles. Despite this, he remains optimistic about the enduring presence of beloved comedians like John Mulaney, suggesting that AI may not surpass the wit and humor of human talent.
