Robot's terrible jokes are a new test of machine intelligence

Pretend for a minute you're the captain of a ship that's being attacked by enemy cannons. Now – say something funny. Making up jokes on the spot is a real test of wits. Yet two comedians have developed an improv show in which many of the ad-libbed gags are delivered by a toy robot. In the last couple of years this unlikely comedy trio – known as HumanMachine – has performed 30 times to nearly 3000 people at comedy festivals in the UK and Canada.