Skip to navigation | Skip to content  Computer program
recognises online sarcasm  pulling a face  The algorithm
recognises sarcastic sentences with an accuracy rate of 80%, say
researchers (Source: iStockphoto)   Oren Tsur, a computer
scientist at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem is discussing
his work at a meeting of the Association for the Advancement of
Artificial Intelligence in Washington, D.C. this week.  Sarcasm
is a useful way to blunt the impact of criticism but people can
often miss it when it's delivered online, where there are no
contextual hints or social cues.  To cut through the confusion,
Tsur and colleagues developed a computer program that can
identify sarcasm in online communities with an accuracy rate of
about 80%.  While there is still a long way to go before
computers will be able to understand all the subtleties of
humour, the new work might, among other things, help companies
sort through comments about their products to find out what
customers really think.   "A typical summarisatio