Researchers from the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research lab (FAIR) recently made an unexpected discovery while trying to improve chatbots. The bots — known as “dialog agents” — were creating their own language — well, kinda.

Using machine learning algorithms, dialog agents were left to converse freely in an attempt to strengthen their conversational skills. Over time, the bots began to deviate from the scripted norms and in doing so, started communicating in an entirely new language — one they created without human input. In a language sense, this one is mostly gibberish. But it’s interesting that AI, if given the opportunity, begins to deviate from the script to create something new — even if it looks like this:

Bob: i can i i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to

Bob: you i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have a ball to me to me to me to me to me to me to me

Bob: i i can i i i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have a ball to me to me to me to me to me to me to me

Bob: i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to

Bob: you i i i i i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have 0 to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to

Bob: you i i i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to

In an attempt to better converse with humans, chatbots took it a step further and got better at communicating without them — in their own sort of way.

And it’s not the only interesting discovery.

Researchers also found these bots to be incredibly crafty negotiators. After learning to negotiate, the bots relied on machine learning and advanced strategies in an attempt to improve the outcome of these negotiations. Over time, the bots became quite skilled at it and even began feigning interest in one item in order to “sacrifice” it at at a later stage in the negotiation as a faux compromise.

We’re not talking singularity-level beings here, but the findings are a huge leap forward for AI.

Edit: Updated for clarity.

Deal or No Deal? End-to-End Learning for Negotiation Dialogues on Facebook AI Research & Georgia Institute of Technology

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