The New York Times’ Gaming section keeps online gamers on their toes every day, tackling brain teasers like Wordle, Connections, Strands, the legendary Crossword and its little brother, Mini Crossword. (CNET has daily answers to these on our Daily Puzzle Answers page.) And now it’s bringing artificial intelligence into the gaming mix.
Launched in June 2023, Connections gives readers 16 words and asks them to sort the words into four related categories. Some of the words might fit into multiple categories, but there is only one solution that will sort all of the words correctly. For added fun, the categories are color-coded, with the purple category being the most difficult.
But if just playing isn’t enough for you, you can now do even more. On September 3, the NYT launched the brand new Connections Bot, which offers players additional insights into their daily gaming behavior.
It’s similar to WordleBot, which launched in 2022, and does the same for Wordle. According to the Times, Wordle Bot gets millions of visits each month and is one of the Times’ most popular features. (For some reason, the Times uses Connections Bot as two words, but WordleBot as one.)
Connections Bot represents the first regular use of AI in the Times newsroom.
Here’s how it works: You play Connections, then visit the Connections Bot to see how you did. The bot compares your play to other players and gives you a score out of 99. To get the perfect 99, you need to win without making any mistakes and be the first to solve the most difficult categories – so purple first, then blue, then green, and finally yellow. (Read the Connections Bot FAQ for more information on how scoring is done.)
Once you get your skill score, the bot uses artificial intelligence to try to read your mind and figure out what you were thinking when you guessed wrong.
Read more: With these seven tips and hints, you will win at NYT Connections every time
NYT’s first regular use of AI
For example, the July 29 Connections puzzle included the words Gutter, Bowl, Lane, and Alley. You may have tried to group these words together because they all have to do with bowling, but they all actually belong in different categories. The AI suggests that you may have been thinking of bowling terms, while also noting that you may have tried to group Alley with words like Lane and Drive because they are all types of streets.
The Connections Bot uses AI to guess why players grouped words in a certain way.
The assumptions come from generative AI.
“In accordance with The Times’ policy for using generative AI,” the FAQ states, “Times editors review all AI-generated responses before publication and make minor edits for clarity and style as appropriate.”
Editor Eve Washington helped develop the bot and told the Times that it helps her feel better on days when she can’t solve the puzzle.
“Connections can be a difficult game,” she said, adding that some days less than 50% of people who try solve the daily puzzle.
You don’t need a Times account to play Connections, but you do need one to use the bot.
Read more: Here are today’s answers for Wordle, Connections, Strands and the Mini Crossword
