Can a Computer Be Taught Common Sense?

Researchers are building a massive computer system that browses millions of pictures and decides for itself what they all mean. The system at Carnegie Mellon University, called NEIL (short for Never Ending Image Learning) has been searching the Internet for images 24/7 and, in tiny steps, is determining how those images relate to each other. The goal is to recreate what we call "common sense": the ability to learn concepts without being specifically taught. The project is being funded by Google and the Department of Defense's Office of Naval Research.