An online sarcasm detector is just what we need in the US, right?

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency usually develops gonzo technologies to prevent and create strategic surprise. – AFP

DARPA has by far the greatest mission statement of any government organisation: developing gonzo technologies to prevent and create strategic surprise.

And this month the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has created a strategic surprise to beat the band: the SocialSim sarcasm detector. It’s an artificial intelligence programme developed at the University of Central Florida that can understand mockery on Twitter and Facebook and, you just know it, probably TikTok too.