Can A Software Detect Subtext In A Speech, Such As Sarcasm?

Satya Swaroop Dash

Satya Swaroop Dash

@satya-swaroop-YDeBJM • Oct 26, 2024
If you are someone like the fictitious Sheldon Cooper from the famous sitcom The Big Bang Theory who has trouble in detecting sarcasm in a conversation you are not alone. The Secret Service of the US, yes the guys in black suits, tinted sunglasses and earpieces are having the same trouble. As you might be aware, these guys often monitor online chatter to detect any potentially nefarious activity such as an attack on an airport. In the recent past, they have had to intercept people who jokingly posted something about blowing an airport on Twitter. So in order to differentiate the actual threat to a fake one, it has posted #-Link-Snipped-# for tech companies on its FedBizOpps website where it is asking for a social networking data aggregation service that will be able to find the subtext in an interaction among other things.

So my question to fellow member of CE can a computer be able to detect subtext such as sarcasm? If, yes how and if, no why? For your reference, we have given a few links where the news was discussed: #-Link-Snipped-#, #-Link-Snipped-#, #-Link-Snipped-# & #-Link-Snipped-#
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  • Anoop Kumar

    Anoop Kumar

    @anoop-kumar-GDGRCn • Jun 3, 2014

    From Washington post
    Secret service wants that software to be
    compatible with Internet Explorer 8.
    Was that sarcasm ?☕

    For real person it depends that sarcasm is offensive or just a light joke . So, for AI, it will take lots of algo to detect really whether it is a sarcasm.
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk • Jun 3, 2014

    Shouldn't this be a computer science topic than a debate one?
    0
  • Ankita Katdare

    Ankita Katdare

    @abrakadabra • Jun 3, 2014

    I have been a fan of TBBT for a long time.
    Engadget's headline on the topic -
    The Secret Service's proposed Twitter sarcasm detector is totally going to work
    was a real master stroke. 😁

    But this stuff is really fascinating.
    If we do consider a case of developing a software that detects sarcasm, it will have to go through a database of thousands and thousands of comparable patterns from the same individual.

    ..unless they use AI where the machine learns 'with experience'

    PS: A lot of my friends are incapable of understanding the difference between sarcastic and serious statements. The only thing lacking with them is 'experience', not intelligence, I believe.
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  • Satya Swaroop Dash

    Satya Swaroop Dash

    @satya-swaroop-YDeBJM • Jun 3, 2014

    Kaustubh Katdare
    Shouldn't this be a computer science topic than a debate one?
    Yup just thought of it now.
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