Decadent Vapours for the second time will sponsors the 2012 CBC.
Peter Cole, botmaster of Brother Jerome, through his company Decadent Vapours, has
agreed to sponsor the 2012 CBC. They will be awarding $1750 to the winning bots along
with award medals to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Also a medal will be awarded
to the “Best New Bot”. 

1st Place - $1000
2nd Place - $500
3rd Place - $250

Enter your bot today at the contest website. Free to Enter!

http://www.chatterboxchallenge.com/

The Chatterbox Challenge is the longest running competition for chatbots. Skynet-AI took third place last year and I would recommend it as a great learning experience for new and old botmasters alike.

What a great beta environment for Marie.
I am looking forward to entering her in the competition!

Thanks for the info, Wendell! Morti will be entered, but I don’t expect him to do any better than last year, since I haven’t had any time this last year to work on him.

Laura, I’m eagerly anticipating the opportunity to see Marie in action. I’m sure I won’t be dissapointed.

Thanks Dave   Marie is a different class of chatbot as her converstational skills (although quite advanced) are second to her task oriented abilities (as a Virtual Internet Assistant). I am not sure how well she will do in comparison to those bots that are strictly converstational, but it will be an interesting test from a user engagement standpoint.

I agree with Ken (Merlin), competitions like these are excellent for motivating chatbot developers. Without contests like the CBC and the Loebner Prize, I wouldn’t spend half as much time as I do now on chatbots. I encourage everyone to enter. You will receive great chatlogs to help improve your bot and who knows, you may even win a prize.

I just hope Slankola doesn’t enter again. Anyone remember that, “Let me wow you with 33 digits of pi 3.14159265…..”

Steve Worswick - Jan 12, 2012:

... Anyone remember that, “Let me wow you with 33 digits of pi 3.14159265…..”

How could we possibly forget? O.O

If you ask Marie what is one plus one, she replies two.
Is that enough to wow you?

Steve Worswick - Jan 12, 2012:

Without contests like the CBC and the Loebner Prize, I wouldn’t spend half as much time as I do now on chatbots.

It’s funny, I haven’t thought of focusing on Loebner prize now for a long, long time.  I’m focusing first on practical functionality. 

BUT… Initially, my effort on chatbots,AI, NLP, etc, went up ASTRONOMICALLY when I learned of Loebner Prize.  So, for that I have to thank the guy !

Funny how fame and fortune drives innovation.

I must admit, I enter these things more for the kudos than the prize money but a few beers are always useful!

Hi Wendell, good to hear there is again price money this year. There seems to be an upward lift in price money for the various competitions. Good sign!

Hi Wendell, good to hear there is again price money this year.

Yes, but that’s not going to last if people continue to sit on the sidelines and don’t enter. There is no wealthy individual here to finance this contest year after year. It relies on a sponsor and no sponsor is going to finance a contest where only a few participate. I’ve done all I can do to make the process of entering as easy as possible.

So with that said I appreciate those who have entered over the years and for those who haven’t please consider doing so. Without your participation this contest will not last. Back in the 2004 – 2005 we had over 100 entries. At present we have 15 or so.

WC

I entered Skynet-AI.

I urge all to enter. It is a great learning experience.

I will be entering Marie as soon as she is ready.
What is the deadline to enter?

Deadline to enter - 03/1/12 (6:00 pm Eastern Time Zone USA)