---
title: "A Human Debater Just Roasted IBM’s “Intelligent Debate” AI Onstage"
description: "## Silver Medal"
date: "2019-02-12"
modified: "2019-02-12"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/ibm-debate-ai"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "ai"
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "ibm"
---

# A Human Debater Just Roasted IBM’s “Intelligent Debate” AI Onstage

![IBM's Project Debater, an AI system that composes arguments, recently lost a debate to a world-renowned human debating expert.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ibm-debate-ai.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: IBM Research\</em\>*

## Silver Medal

Machines are creeping closer and closer to a real understanding of language with all of its nuances and subtext. But for now, the best machines still can’t compare to humanity — a shortcoming made clear at a high stakes debate on Monday evening.

In one corner was Harish Natarajan, a finalist at the World Debating Championships in 2016. His opponent was [Project Debater](<https://futurism.com/ibm-ai-arguments>), an AI system built by IBM that assembles logical arguments and respond**s** to its opponents, [according to *CNN*](<https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/tech/ai-versus-human-ibm-debate/index.html>).

## Government Priorities

Both participants were told the topic 15 minutes in advance — Natarajan was to argue against government-subsidized preschools and Project Debater would advocate for them.

Both sides presented a four-minute introduction, then took turns rebutting each other before presenting closing arguments. While *CNN* reports that Project Debater presented eloquent arguments, Natarajan ultimately won as he swayed more of the audience to agree with his side.

## Not Quite There

Project Debater may have lost in part because it spent its rebuttal period continuing its own arguments rather than trying to counter Natarajan's, according to *CNN*. However, pieces of a rebuttal came later as part of Project Debater's closing arguments.

The disorienting debate strategy suggests that AI [can’t quite compete](<https://futurism.com/ibm-debater-ai-wont-take-over-humanity>) with the human brain, though projects like IBM’s are making impressive inroads.

"It's really pushing the boundaries \[of the\] kinds of AI systems that are more interactive with us and can understand us better," IBM research director Dario Gil told *CNN*.

**READ MORE:** [IBM's fast-talking AI machine just lost to a human champion in a live debate](<https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/tech/ai-versus-human-ibm-debate/index.html>) \[*CNN*\]

***More on AI: [You Have No Idea What Artificial Intelligence Really Does](<https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence-hype>)***

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)