2025 Human-Computer Trivia Competition:
Human Teams

How this Works

It's always difficult to try something new, but we think this will be fun!

Short Version: You'll play multiple rounds of tossup-bonus quiz bowl with computer teammates.  The computer can buzz on the tossups, and will provide guesses on the bonuses.  You'll need to decide whether or not to trust the answers from the computer.

Medium Version: We'll have multiple rounds (themed), and at the start of each round you'll get to choose your AI teammate(s).  Because the teams with the worst records will go first, this will make the matches accessible even to less skilled players.  The computers teammates will be on your team, buzzing in on tossups (make sure you don't choose computers who neg!) and offering help on bonuses.  However, the human will decide of the final bonus answer, rewarding both trivia knowledge and the ability to see through computer BS.

Long Version: We will mostly adopt ACF Rules, with exceptions outlined in this document (it's long, but if you want to know how it works, it's worth looking over).

Where

The online tournament will be held via Zoom and BuzzIn.Live.

When

The in-person tournament was on June 14, 2025, and the online tournament will be on June 21, 2025.  The in-person tournament will start at 10:00 and the online tournament will start at 12:00.  This is our first time doing this, but we have 4-6 rounds planned, and each should take about 45 minutes (it's longer than a normal quiz bowl round because each bonus question asks for a response from humans and computers).

Why

Simultaneously, this is also a competition for computers: the computer that best helps the human team will win the computer side of the competition.  So we're rewarding not just the ability of computers to get questions right but to explain why they chose a particular answer to human teammates (or decide to abstain).  The human teams in this tournament will help us crown a computer winner.

Fees

There is no cost to play, and there are prizes for doing well in the tournament: 

• The top team at each mirror will receive $150

• second place will receive $100

• and third place $50

The rating of teams will be determined by overall record.  We will play off ties at the buzzer if at all possible, and ties will be broken by points per game.

What

Each of the rounds will be themed, with questions specially designed to stump computers.  So they'll be a little odd.  Some of the themes that we have are:

1. Music

2. Spatial Reasoning

3. Military History

4. World Literature

5. Canadian History

6. Australian History

Even if you see a theme that seems scary, you'll have an AI to help you!

FAQ

How many people on a team?

1-3 humans (we'd prefer at least two), who will be joined by two AIs.

Sign Up

Please sign up to play (deadline June 18, 2025 for the online tournament).