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Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Comprised of critically acclaimed essays by the world's leading experts on each topic in the series, these collections will become definitive texts on crucial issues of our technological times.
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Smooth Talkers

The Nando Times reports of chat agents that can lead the conversation to market a particular product; Digital 'Buddies' Latest in Elaborate Marketing Tools. This is scary from a conceptual point of view, even if the bots are really bad in practice (they'll become good eventually!) Just imagine sitting in ICQ and someone random starting a conversation, which seems plausibly human-like. The next thing you know you're being told how wonderful the next Scooby-doo film is... The article goes into the dangers of such technology, as seen by the creator of an early bot called Eliza.

On a similar note, BBC News has a feature about using chatter bots in business, but for a good cause -- Virtual People Help Bridge Digital Divide. Basically, the technology is used to answer queries of users and guide them as appropriate. This sounds like a much nobler goal than marketing! ;)

Finally, the NY Times has an article on the talkative Cindy toy; A Chatty Doll of a Different Kind.

79 posts.
Monday 05 August, 15:25
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