Akinator is an artificial intelligence-based web and mobile game that can seemingly "guess" the character or person you are thinking of by asking a series of questions. While it might appear to guess everything right, it's not actually a mind reader or magic; instead, it uses a clever algorithm and a vast database to make educated guesses.
Here's how Akinator works:
Database of Characters: Akinator has an extensive database containing a wide range of characters, including fictional characters, real people, celebrities, historical figures, etc. The database is continually updated and expanded to include new characters as the game gains popularity.
Decision Tree Algorithm: Akinator employs a decision tree algorithm to narrow down the possibilities and determine the character you are thinking of. The algorithm selects the most appropriate question to ask based on previous responses. Each question helps eliminate a significant portion of the characters that do not match your answers.
Probabilistic Guessing: As you provide answers to Akinator's questions, the algorithm computes probabilities for each potential character based on how well their traits match your responses. The characters with lower probabilities are eliminated, and the ones with higher probabilities are considered more likely matches.
Learning from Past Games: Akinator learns from the vast number of games played by users worldwide. It analyzes the questions and answers from previous games to improve its ability to guess correctly. The more people play the game, the more the algorithm learns, leading to better guesses over time.
Refining Questions: Akinator may ask seemingly irrelevant or bizarre questions, but these help to quickly eliminate a large number of characters from the database. For example, if you're thinking of a character with black hair, it might ask if the character has ever been to space. This strange question can efficiently reduce the number of potential matches.
User Feedback Loop: When Akinator makes a wrong guess, users have the option to provide feedback to correct the answer. This feedback helps Akinator to improve its accuracy in future games.
It's important to note that Akinator is not always 100% accurate, and sometimes it might make a wrong guess, especially if the character is very obscure or not well-known. However, it's quite impressive how well it can narrow down the possibilities and make highly accurate guesses in many cases, thanks to its sophisticated algorithm and extensive database.