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Comedian Robot Named Data

In this TED video, Heather Knight introduces Data, a robotic stand-up comedian that gathers audience feedback through sensors and then tunes its act to the crowd responses.


(Data, the robotic standup comedian)

In his 1951 short story The Jester, William Tenn introduces sf audiences to the idea of a robot comedian:

"You changed his shape!" Lester yelped accusingly, "I sent you a smooth-lined twenty-two hundred and seven model with the cylindrical trunk. You bring back a pear-shaped piece of machinery looking like a wadjacallit - as if it had a paunch all the way around!"

"Look, sir, the techs just had to expand his midsection. Even on microwire that file of jokes took up a lot of space... More space, more weight. But let me turn him on..."
(Read more about William Tenn's robot comedian)

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