– Satyakam Ray

Captcha tests are so common, yet sometimes are confusing. Read on to find out the nitty-gritty of the same…..

Ramesh Ray, a senior advocate, was browsing the internet on a Sunday evening. While going through a website, he came across a section where he had to prove his existence as a living human, not a robot! Confused? He stumbled across the “I’m not a robot captcha.” Being a novice in applying technology, he miserably misidentified the sidewalks! The system declared him a bot and denied him access. The story of senior citizens failing the test is not new at all. Interestingly, despite being tech-savvy, the author has failed many times during the I’m not a robot captcha test. 

What is the Captcha test?

The father of artificial intelligence, Alan Turing, developed the captcha test in 1950 to help determine whether a computer can showcase intelligent behavior like a human. Turing called it “the imitation test.” Not so surprisingly, Captcha stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart.” 

Since then, Captcha has gone through various revisions and redevelopments by numerous scientists working to secure network aspects in the artificial intelligence field. Loius Von Ahn, a consulting professor at Carnegie Mellon University, developed the modern Captcha and the reCaptcha. Google has acquired the reCaptcha.

Although the Captcha tests are sometimes troublesome, they are essential for security. Many automated bots have become increasingly complex due to advancements in AI. The fact that the bots are only computer programs that cannot mimic human physical actions- drives the inclination for more complex captcha tests used today. 

How do the users react to it?

However, the system’s essential security check invokes a mixed response from the users. The more tech-literate consider the test compulsory as it involves the system’s security. They show a little bit more patience. However, the older and younger generations sometimes become restless upon encountering a Captcha test. Many older people fail the test, too. Small-sized and poor-quality pictures also contribute to the failure. 

For many people with attention deficits, identifying the subtle differences in the given picture is quite a task. The streetlights, sidewalks, crossroads, and cars are often blurred. One has to restrain one’s eyes to see the pictures carefully. If someone doesn’t have time to check, he might make mistakes.

Pointers on how to avoid mistakes?

While countering the test, some points should be considered to avoid this little hiccup.

Sometimes, failing is fun! In the digital world, where so many problems surround us, technical literacy, patience, and humor can deal with this little problem of the Captcha test. Like Mr. Ray, after failing the Captcha test, he had the heartiest laugh over the years!