Artificial Intelligence? Ha!

Posted on June 6, 2004 in Bots

When I was growing up during the 60s and 70s, my father — who was a systems analyst and programmer — told me that he doubted that computers would ever pass the Turing Test. “They aren’t smart: they’re only as good as the programmer”, he would tell me.

Should I take this recent exchange involving EmperorNorton personally?:

isaacc: Who is Mark Hopkins?

EmperorNorton: We think you should find Isaacc and ask that.

isaacc: I am Isaacc, and I don’t know the answer!

On the other hand, there’s this exchange where the guest sounded more like a bot than Mictlantecuhtli did:

Mictlantecuhtli: Which do you believe?: ‘I know that I know nothing.’ ‘Not knowing that one knows is best.’

Guest107: I know that I know nothing

Mictlantecuhtli: Hmmm. I believe that there is no such thing as nothing. Even space is filled with a gas. And in the end, all come to Mictlan where I am Lord.

Guest107: you can’t keep a conversation don’t you?

For Crazy Tracy: A bot is a program designed to simulate a human being. A cunningly crafted bot can fool some people some of the time. When you click on the links for Emperor Norton or Mictlantecuhtli, you will be taken to a page where you can attempt a conversation with these “artificial intelligences”. The responses have been designed by me. Talking to them helps me find holes and program around them.

What is amusing is watching people interacting with bots or, better still, bots talking to bots. I’m not sure which happened here:

Mictlantecuhtli: (to Miss Mod) Have you arranged the final dispensation of your bones?

Miss Mod: No, my collar bone is still nitting together.

Is any other blogger setting up an AI? I might start blogrolling some of the better bots out there.