New Delhi, March 8 -- Like most people, artificial intelligence (AI) is not funny. I check every week. For some time now, I have been asking ChatGPT, and later Claude too, to tell me something funny. They're terrible.

I have tried providing a setup and context. I gave ChatGPT my thoughts about this column and asked it to frame a humorous observation. It said: "Why did the AI cross the road? To optimize the chicken." It is that bad. AI is better at word play than observations, particularly sarcasm, which is the second lowest form of humour, and puns, which are the lowest.

Unlike some human bores, AI knows it is not very funny. After all, it is a connoisseur of humour. Why, I ask AI, are you not funny?

The bots offer some reasons. For in...