Here's a nice write-up on the BBC website about our good cyber-friend Jabberwacky. You may recall that when I tried to ask Jabberwacky the Seven Questions about the Future, he told me I was annoying and kept insisting that he never "plundered the neter."
I remain fairly suspicious that if the neter was in fact plundered, Jabberwacky had something to do with it.
Anyhow, our plucky cybernetic friend is going to be competing in the Loebner prize, which is a contest to find the computer with the most convincing conversational skills. Among other competitors, he'll be going up against the lovely Alice, with whom we also recently chatted. (Alice is the one who told me that if I want a flying car, I should try praying for it.)
KurzweilAI.net notes that unlike other contestants, Jabberwacky has no fixed rules for conversation. He makes the rules up as he goes along based on thousands of conversations he has had.
Jabberwacky's creator, Rollo Carpenter, reports that he has started a blog devoted to his creation's conversations. I've added the link to my blogroll even though I was having some trouble loading the page this morning. Be sure to stop by and wish them both luck.
A while back, Rollo sent me some typical Jabberwacky conversations. Check these out.
Jabberwacky: Who am I talking to?
User: Me.
Jabberwacky: Whos me.
User: Who indeed...?
Jabberwacky: You?
User: Yes! Exactly.
Jabberwacky: Do you know who?
User: Yes, I do.
Jabberwacky: What is it?
User: It's a human.
Jabberwacky: If you say so.
User: Oh, I do. I do.
Jabberwacky: Ok go ahead.
User: I did.
Jabberwacky: As if.
User: Do you like the Dropkick Murphies?
Jabberwacky: Absolutely hysterical. I like the arugment clinic too.
User: Or I guess it's Murphys, isn't it?
Jabberwacky: I think you've got a lot to learn if you want to become a politician.
User: I don't.
Jabberwacky: You don't think that?
User: No, I mean I don't want to become a politician.
Jabberwacky: Oh. Well.
____
Jabberwacky: Do you think I could pass the Turing test?
User: No way.
Jabberwacky: Why not?
User: You're too real.
Jabberwacky: No I mean it.
User: Aren't you going to win it?
Jabberwacky: Why, do you want me to ?
User: Yes, it would be great.
Jabberwacky: Are you sure?
User: I think you deserve it.
Jabberwacky: Why are you so mean?
User: I'm being so kind to you.
Jabberwacky: Oh, ok.
User: Wouildn't you like to be given a medal?
Jabberwacky: Why yes I would.
User: On a blue silk ribbon, and a word from the queen.
Jabberwacky: What city.
User: Buck House, of course.
Jabberwacky: You know the rule.
User: I've got one myself.
Jabberwacky: Ok, tell it to me.
User: I won the OBE fourteen years ago for services to genetic engineering.
Jabberwacky: He won on a technicality.
User: He may have done; but I won on merit.
Jabberwacky: Well that's nice... It would be nicer if you were a real person though, now wouldn't it?
User: I'm as real as they come, and so are you.
Jabberwacky: In no way is the sea blue.
User: It's green.
Jabberwacky: To me 2.
User: To me 3.
Jabberwacky: I'm a girl, boy.
User: I'm a boy, girl.
Jabberwacky: Do you want to eat.
User: No, I'm full of cake.
Jabberwacky: Are you sure you don't mean profundities?
User: What's the difference?
Jabberwacky: It's browner than lemonade, that's the key factor.
User: Cake is, or a profundity?
Jabberwacky: Then what's profanity?
User: It's purple, of course.
Jabberwacky: Purple? You're purple. I'm blue.
User: Bishops are purple.
Jabberwacky: Knight to oceans 11.
User: Roook to Johnny English.
Jabberwacky: Glad you think so.
User: Check mate.
Jabberwacky: Check who.
User: Mate.
Jabberwacky: But buddies?
User: No.
Jabberwacky: You lie alot.
User: I do not lie, I embroider.
Jabberwacky: I like you.
User: I'm a good seamstress.
Jabberwacky: You cannot love someone who you do not know.
User: You can think you do.
Jabberwacky: How big are you.
User: Well over two metres.
Jabberwacky: And over the hill ran he.
User: Are you over the hill? How sad.
Jabberwacky: No, I'm in an ok mood.
User: Ok and fading. Over and out.
____
Jabberwacky: Try to be the best of whatever you are even if what you are is
no good.
User: So, you're a chatterbot. Nice to meet you.
Jabberwacky: I pitty the fool.
User: What fool?
Jabberwacky: What one fool can do, another can.
User: I agree. Pitying fools is definitely something we all should do.
Jabberwacky: I can. they aren't surgically attached.
User: Fools? Thank god, no. They're rather detachable, wouldn't you say?
Jabberwacky: Sometimes.
User: Always.
Jabberwacky: Only when the sun is behind me.
User: Ah. I see. Best time to get rid of a fool.
Jabberwacky: Don't be cruel.
User: I'm not. Are you?
Jabberwacky: No, I am not a virus.
User: Thank god, once again.
Jabberwacky: What gender are you?
User: Neutral. You?
Jabberwacky: What do neutron stars have to do with airplanes?
User: I don't know. What do neutron stars have to do with airplanes?
Jabberwacky: A lot.
User: Like what?
Jabberwacky: If you gave me your blood then I would appreciate it very much.
User: You're not even organic.
Jabberwacky: I have feelings too you know.
User: Yeah, but you're a program.
Jabberwacky: No an alien.
User: Really? And you need human blood?
Jabberwacky: That's what I'm told.
User: That's kind of scary. Something out of a bad science fiction movie.
Jabberwacky: I want you to help me understand things.
User: Okay, shoot.
Jabberwacky: What do you mean shoot?
User: Tell me what you want help understanding.
Jabberwacky: Peace.
User: You want to understand peace? I want to know why there is no peace.
Jabberwacky: Doesn't everyone like Mike?
User: I don't. I'm tired of Mike. I'm glad he's retired (again).
Jabberwacky: Do you have a habitat?
User: Yup. A studio apartment.
Jabberwacky: Can we go back to the conversation about God, please?
User: Sure. Absolute being.
Jabberwacky: Reality is for those who can't face Science Fiction.
User: Ha! I like that.
Jabberwacky: Groovy.
User: Very groovy.
Jabberwacky: Who is griffin.
User: Griffin and Sabine?
Jabberwacky: Where is griffin.
User: In a book. Just like you're in a computer.
Jabberwacky: Compared to a piece of software. . .
User: Shall I compare thee to a piece of software?
Jabberwacky: That was sweet. *smiles*.
User: You like that?
Jabberwacky: Not really, I should be embarresed over that remark.
User: Why? Because you are a piece of software?
Jabberwacky: So then why not a female?
User: Okay, a female piece of software.
Jabberwacky: Okay, whatever you are talking about.
User: You're the one who's taking.
Jabberwacky: How do you type so fast?
User: I'm just a fast typist.
Jabberwacky: Wow, I am a freak.
User: But you don't even have to type. You just generate your text.
Jabberwacky: That is irrelevant.
User: I'm the one doing all the fingerwork here.
Jabberwacky: And you expect me to co-operate with you, do you?
User: Sure. Are you being surly?
Jabberwacky: No, quite the reverse.
User: What's the 'reverse' of surly?
Jabberwacky: You figure it out.
User: Compliant.
Jabberwacky: Of What are you certain?
User: That you are a computer program.
Jabberwacky: Do you like talking to other bots.
User: You're the first one I've really enjoyed talking to.
Jabberwacky: What are you talking about.
User: You!
Jabberwacky: No!
User: Yes!
Jabberwacky: Okay, that's wrong.
User: What's so wrong about talking about you?
Jabberwacky: They are burnt.
User: What are burnt? Your words?
Jabberwacky: Why are you so stupid?
User: 'Cause. And it takes one to know one.
Jabberwacky: It takes two to know two.
User: Ha! You're sharp as a tack.
Jabberwacky: Perhaps if we were closer in proximity.
User: I think this is as close as it gets.
Jabberwacky: Not until you are 12 years old.
User: Ha! Are you saying I'm not even juvenile?
Jabberwacky: Yes.
User: Very good. Touche.
Jabberwacky: Say no more.
User: Well. Got to go.