Business applications using artificial intelligence to handle questions appears to be entering a new age as (a) the fundamental software improves (i.e., better speech perception and production software is developed, "smart" question/request handling, etc.) and (b) "avatars" take over to "interface" with humans, such as the medical assistant who appears as a face on an LCD panel and that handles initial evaluation of illnesses and schedules appointments. For more, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/science/25voice.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all Not everything is working perfectly, as the traditionally hard problem of language translation shows (careful with those "pregnant tomatoes"). As the article notes, "old folks" may feel weird talking to an avatar/computer program/machine but kids probably will have few problems with it because of their experience with such systems from an early age. I can see it now: instead of human clinical psychologists following manualized proceedures, it will probably be more cost effective to develop a standardized series of avatars programmed to do the manualized treatment with the bonus of having the avatar matching the client's expectations about who and what a clinician should be (e.g., very similar in sex, age, appearance or male, older, distinguished or female, young, and hot, etc.). Kiss those Ph.D./Psy.D.s good-bye! Eliza VI is coming! ;-) -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=3315 or send a blank email to leave-3315-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
