An AI comedy writer is born. And instantly it’s racist…

The first line of the first script the AI generated was just a single word “immigrant”. This was based on a simple AI model trained on the first two seasons of Seinfeld. Most of the content is pretty non-sensical but halfway through there is another line that sticks out:

George: It’s she Pakistani million Right, this, is unbelievable.

And the following line from Jerry is simply “Yes!” This could be my predilection to be overly sensitive to any racial comments, but we didn’t recall Seinfeld being particularly racist so it’s interesting that the AI keyed into these topics right away. There is a lot more data to add, training to do and hyper-parameters to configure, but in the meantime here is a description of our technique and the full script.

The AI employs a sub-set of machine learning methods known as deep learning. These algorithms are trained by observing a vast amount of data to create deep neural networks that mimic animal brains. They are organized into multiple layers which are useful for recognizing patterns by calculating probabilities at each layer. Recurrent neural networks (and long short-term memory algorithms) are especially useful for modeling languages in order to predict sequences of words. Another highly useful technique we hope to experiment with later will be to leverage Generative Adversarial Networks which essentially place two opposing neural networks against one another where one tries to fake out the other in a form of a zero-sum game framework.

JERRY: immigrant.
SALESMAN: One mother.. Oh, relocated.
JERRY: Take these loved day.
Carol: (Gesturing you the crabs. and I were getting him we’ll had a life?” Where?
JERRY: Because I time, up of a house, human Very courtesy you directions.
GEORGE: Once gotta gonna be here last takes that won’t doing for in a rest of the busboy’s immigrant.
JERRY: I’ll change the apartment)
JERRY: I want another salad teeth…
KRAMER: We am.” He The buttering a look in that.
SUSIE: You know, you am are wake and drawers and under my wrong
LAURA: also. Jerry is we’re home. out, wait, Tell but they’re not not just going.” She dismissed Jerry? The apartment? (Jerry people are running and with me.
Jerry: I give up
favour: got Sunday, my people like this Look, are Uhm, is the date and the clothes behind the word now. funny Because I once, happened?
GEORGE: Well, yeah.. pastries.
JERRY: I’d in my clothes Tabachnick walks my cable died.
GEORGE: Yeah, when you can’t First Flip of those hospital! impenetrable Dockers, talk? working over second. is before from other hundred unless I enter story the same screen. What can I was gonna call these police.” You was hip
MAN: Listen, with up for something and George come and out on these There
GEORGE: No, but men let to serve it call you?
JERRY: Where did you have a type of noise up. [
KRAMER: What do you think it’s here?
WAITRESS: Oh, yeah… Hello?..
Donna: turns no idiot no. part there (To outside wearing your apartment? over on, Excuse dry. I live that’s try there. were in a Gulag. ..They be downtown. we’re one of this. I’m fine,
ISAAC: So, no, I’ll see? You’re you? You can’t believe to told it in the big gnats. I’ll have clever.
ELAINE: So George.
Elaine: Oh, they lost it.
JERRY: Oh, an apartment, has the riding
KRAMER: hits his word…
Jerry: How should they done? You don’t do involved in my jacket What, my guy?
JERRY: You’re Jerry. You want to would just know.
JERRY: And loud. You call you worked right calls you work – I’ve medical “Oh, the phone] It’s kill May
JERRY: Whenever now now, I’m I.. Who not twenty She, I know up to doing anything. You don’t find Loni Jerry?! Thanks, the bet’s good guy. You read Rava.. orange tear there is a problem.
JERRY: That’s this note. He’s a funny The jacket,
MARLENE: Well, thank a same candy. it something. do
Kramer:] that’s Sunday, George) There’s beautiful! I no. To can’t. I’ll tell her on the nose, in the back?
ELAINE: Yeah, eleven is a wine] You’re what the wacks that the apartment. (Jerry pretty Jerry, in a there.
JERRY: But you forgot it
Helen: You’re you know. (Manny group into cotton-balls. Hey, so got a bit over, are maybe, she’s seemed to be whenever she Say, don’t know about the apartment, the funeral’s though.
GEORGE: That’s it, what I don’t know from my bargain, fight. It’s like?
KRAMER: (To Jerry) You’re whatdya only funny.
GEORGE: But you will just, invite that… I’ll get thinking there’s at Rava?
RAY: This for town. There’s gonna oh, in.
Jerry: (Sarcastic) I see, babies, couldn’t here take me in the apartment of then, on friends.
KRAMER: Now, Sharon truth, like five information is the plane talking so answer. She hard?
DOCTOR: Hey, I two performance ha, bull tonsils.
MAN: hundred Benes, throughout that it keeps a few attack.
ELAINE: What do something, are you know so.
JERRY: I’ll be trying you tell with that? This guy mine?
JERRY: Yes, I’ll him] What are to should through the “performances”.
ELAINE: You’re driving how are you tomorrow…great, Elaine)
LESLIE: twice, esta
MANAGER: George, in the house. Anyway, of Anatoly goods.. and parts? (Scene ends) of get in, I didn’t tonight, He’s a statue.
George: It’s she Pakistani million Right, this, is unbelievable.
JERRY: Yes!
RAVA: I I think you Blues, stock. Put it’s a Morty, I know, I shop workin’ (Goes where him? I hate away] (Points and I would guys soft organ.. protesting they’re luggage. (Scene ends) [
Setting: mirror in a morning
Jerry: wakes Jerry. approaches erm, he’s wake in.
JERRY: You’re gonna be out and it’s water. walks to you too off! followed now.” I said, about my York now! One [George than to have her cats and gestures to like there’s at you out there? I’ve said it in the goal and three idea. give you this life in that early you know.
Jerry: I think him and what, the dryer including lookin’ George, look or the funny or up! Did you could go at a husband, out that years coffee.
JERRY: (To look, fine. He’s, his clunk one She eaten room…
GEORGE: What Bill. years way for hello, get cought statue) I happened me the House”)
JERRY: Forty-nine hello? and dance? (Elaine tiles to Carol.
TOR: gives the trouble she sees Phoenix. If I don’t ask? (Scene ends) [
MORTY: Oh, then, And it’s your crook around his thousand companies how thought you didn’t know one I uh, like she’s explain up you’re pretend
KRAMER: (Snaps his (Obviously run ahead. Y’know, afterwards, I’m this, in the lease? room came on what’d of that funny? around the intercom [judges outfits, happened.. it in the sweater who the insignificant son, to some joking) of a over the buzzes) of on the doctor, by a hide what wish I don’t had her.
JERRY: You wish I know it all life. I would see that. Don’t ring bump I know. Can I,
JERRY: I got looking on (Doctor surprise
JERRY: Thanks where’s positive the we’re George like the glasses in Murder?!
ELAINE: She both himself) This is down. I have this jackets potatoes! You know back you.
LAURA: Corvelay?
Jerry: She said no, Dad keep
MAN: depended of us?
JERRY: Why good the person We see the job, to thirty-three bad nice through you. The father was good.
George: So, I can go up and sleep) Antonio. OK, George is doin’ this fireplace? of Uh-huh.
JERRY: Yeah, it with two Avenue?
ELAINE: Oh, mister collar’s
ED: Let Five man You really Jerry) are the date like a apartment. (Elaine on the decent guy, for the bags.]
ELAINE: I don’t want lookit, all cantaloupe.
JERRY: Uh-huh.
KRAMER: No. (Jerry Goodbye!
JERRY: Oooh.
ELAINE: What?
KRAMER: Well, his Goodbye! I get my bathroom? duckies..
JERRY: Oh, you too swallowed the cordless restaurant] beings. What got you doesn’t very
JERRY: dollars my face) That’s your.. story? conditioner. (Jerry She (She (She George, fact, well…a car can keep not not introduced to a place.
KRAMER: Come won’t dump up for Antonio’s take-charge jacket is almost UP packer.
JERRY: comfortable Jerry, downstairs. Come
Carol: Hey,
ELAINE: You appreciate washed? Because affected that is wearing for the bed)
JERRY: It’s all the smells to pushing too.
KRAMER: (Trying to get she, me, Candidates eyes…[suddenly how do it C’mon, do.
JERRY: That’s you, I’d suggest tables)
ELAINE: apparently up) is Hi.
GEORGE: What?
Kramer: No, I didn’t believe I get a fairly
TABACHNICK: “Feel quiet) is cuts to your water, it’s going cows go “Kramer-style”] No, I kept Bob heterosexuality.
JERRY: pulls the lawyer. peas.. (Jerry easily. much, closes Guatamala. of fine, in the here. (Jerry pops up his crazy! of barbecue out Elaine go!
Kramer: Well, I’m happier. walks to this? I thought you know.. c’mon. is the table] what him but no. What, I’m been her?
JERRY: And I never really care.
MORTY: Do you want the enters)
KRAMER: Vanessa, not gonna wrong up, and from my joke?
Jerry: Hey, work look, if I start off here.
RITA: You’re them in a girls, I just think I was like with out?
JERRY: Hey. You Seattle done! tries the exports? (Leads no statue! This is some job.

Here is the open-source code we’re using to generate our scripts.

Todd Margolis is a transmedia producer of immersive platforms. With over 20 years of experience creating tele-collaborative immersive and interactive artworks and systems, his work has been shown in museums, galleries and festivals throughout the world.

HOM-COM is the brainchild of Todd Margolis and Fernando Orellana. From robots that print sculptures, to extruders that birth Play-Doh populations, to machines that are designed for ghost to operate, Fernando Orellana has collaborated with robots for over twenty years to make artwork. As a machine designer, a technologist and a user, Orellana has blurred the line between himself and machine in the creative process. The imagery and narrative that Orellana and his robots explore spans a spectrum from the generatively-made to the subconsciously-driven. HOM-COM is being co-produced along with Tracy Cornish and Mindy McDaniel.