Interactive science session led by Dr Megan Venn-Wycherley that uses the story of Clever Hans to explore the real tricks behind artificial intelligence.
Is AI just a really smart horse runs at the National Waterfront Museum on Friday 30 October, part of the Swansea Science Festival. It's a half-hour session led by computer scientist Dr Megan Venn-Wycherley, and it's free, though you'll need a ticket for every adult and child in your group.
The whole thing starts with the story of Clever Hans, a horse who in 1904 amazed the world by appearing to do maths with his hoof, right up until a scientist figured out his real trick. From there, the show works its way through some of the funniest failures and sneakiest shortcuts of artificial intelligence: a maths-defying horse, a chihuahua that might actually be a muffin, and a chance to become a human chatbot. It's less of a lecture and more of a guided tour through the gaps between what AI seems to be doing and what's actually going on under the hood.
By the end, the room is left asking how much of what machines do — chatting, drawing, finishing our sentences — is genuine intelligence and how much is just a very fancy hoof-tap. It's a good way to get a handle on the hype and the reality of AI without needing a degree in computer science to follow it.
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It's listed for ages 8 to 99, so it works as a family thing or something to drag a friend along to. The session starts at 1.30pm and runs for 30 minutes, and it's free, so you just need to make sure you've got your tickets sorted for everyone coming along.
