A breakthrough for AI technology: Passing an 8th-grade science test

Four years ago, more than 700 computer scientists competed in a contest to build artificial intelligence that could pass an eighth-grade science test. There was $80,000 in prize money on the line. Even the most sophisticated system couldn't do better than 60% on the test. AI couldn't match the language and logic skills that students are expected to have when they enter high school. But Wednesday, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a prominent lab in Seattle, unveiled a new system that passed the test with room to spare.