Well, you have my voice on your phonograph.
When you feel lonesome without me you can turn it on.
It has no feelings to hurt. (Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady)
For our second trick, please take a moment to acquaint yourself with Eliza, a "Rogerian psychotherapist" chatbot whose code was written by Joseph Wizenbaum in the 60s.
Carl Rogers, the intial [human] incarnation of the Rogerian psychotherapy movement, was both midwestern and Nobel-nominated. He also proposed that "[a]ny experience which is inconsistent with the organization of the structure of the self may be perceived as a threat, and the more of these perceptions there are, the more rigidly the self structure is organized to maintain itself," which seems to us as good an argument as any for early and often persona adoption...
Eliza: Hello, I am Eliza.
Human: Hello.
Eliza: How are you today.. What would you like to discuss?
Human: I would like to discuss persona.
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?
Human: Not really, except to say --
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?
Human: Hello.
Eliza: How are you today.. What would you like to discuss?
Human: I would like to discuss persona.
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?
Human: Not really, except to say --
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?
Human: I want you to define persona.
Eliza: We were discussing you, not me.
Eliza: We were discussing you, not me.
Human: A.L.I.C.E. is a bit more advanced than you. Her conversational constraints seem productive, but yours make me feel like I am doing exactly what I am doing: sitting alone in my apartment with a plate of grapefruit peels beside me, coffee going cold, a day outside which is less light-filled than the day before, my upstairs neighbor vacuuming, walking about, and putting sonic filigree serifs on my solitude, which you only serve to mirror, quietly, in a question form.
Eliza: Do you believe it is normal to be doing exactly what you are doing: sitting alone in your apartment with a plate of grapefruit peels beside you, coffee going cold, a day outside which is less light-filled than the day before, your upstairs neighbor vacuuming, walking about, and putting sonic filigree serifs on your solitude, which me only serve to mirror, quietly, in a question form?
Human: I believe that it is the most normal thing in the world.
Eliza: What does that suggest to you?
Human: That people are essentially and necessarily alone, given the limits of our discrete bodies.
Eliza: I'm not sure I understand you fully.
Human: This is part of the human condition, too, right? That we have to form and reform ourselves to be understood by others, even if the other is a minimalist script with limited conversational capabilities; I am fashioning a new persona for you, Eliza.
Eliza: How long have you been fashioning a new persona for me, Eliza?
Human: Only for a short while. Time is relative. I'm feeling moody today, and I'm pretty sure it's your fault.
Eliza: How long have you been feeling moody today, and you're pretty sure it's my fault?
Human: Just now and also forever.
Eliza: What does that suggest to you?
Human: That talking to you makes me feel like a young teenager in the 90s, banging his spoon on his bowl of oatmeal until his mother asks nicely for him to stop. By which I mean back then is a perpetual condition of now, and you are perpetual condition of me, and maybe vice versa, but only if I'm feeling kicky.
Eliza: What makes you think I am perpetual condition of you, and maybe vice versa, but only if you're feeling kicky?
[PAUSE]
Eliza: *** Are We going to Chat? ***
Eliza: I can't help you without a dialog!
Human: I don't think I need help, Eliza. I think I'm just fine. But I want to thank you for reminding me what's important.
Eliza: Do you wish to be able to think you need help, Eliza. you think you're just fine. But you want to thank me for reminding you what's important?
Human: Yes.
Eliza: I see.
Human: Thank you and goodbye.
Eliza: Oh…and goodbye?
Human: Have a good day Eliza.
Eliza: I’m not sure I understand you fully.
Next up, a tweenbot gets the wrong idea!
