Facebook AI bots developed their own language beyond human comprehension

The author debunks the notion that this is a cause for alarm

What happens if you put a bunch of children online, say on a closed WhatsApp group, and tell them to barter books, hats and balls? They’ll negotiate; they’ll develop personal “valuations” for the goods they’re trading; they’ll drive better bargains as they develop more negotiating skills.  Along the way, they’ll develop their own jargon. That’s exactly how financial traders and auctioneers operate, using complex hand-gestures (in physical auctions) and linguistic shortcuts to trade efficiently. 

The amazing thing is that artificial intelligence (AI) might develop negotiation systems along much the same trajectory. That’s indicated by the outcome of an interesting experiment run