DesktopMates Microsoft Agent & Artificial Intelligence Technologies

[MakeEveryMomentCount]

This is deep in the uncanny valley

[Richie086]

Hey I have an idea, why not go talk to a real person who does not sound like a computer? It saves you money, and time you would have spent uninstalling this application..

[Richie086]

Hey I have an idea, why not go talk to a real person who does not sound like a computer? It saves you money, and time you would have spent uninstalling this application..

[jamessuperfun]

OK, now I can't intall CyberBuddy on win 7 64-bit. 'Error changing to "Unzip to" folder.' wtf why cant you just make it one- time instalation of one program, fit it all into one?

[maverickarizona]

@jamessuperfun ... well if you had taken a few minutes to actually read the info on the page you would have realized that the free start up package wasn't for Windows 7 64 bit systems and states that a free package starter package for Windows 7 64 bit systems is forth coming once the author of the CyberBuddy upgrades his program. Until then Windows 7 64 bit users will have to use the Ultra Hal AI program to operate characters.

[jamessuperfun]

Not cartoony?

[jamessuperfun]

Any NORMAL people in the free package?

[maverickarizona]

@jamessuperfun ... define normal, the main purpose being a desktop assistant I think a businessman in a suit is a pretty normal person, but tastes vary.

[wheelieblind]

as a person who uses assistive technology that synthesized voice sucked big time, I can think of software that isn't for the handicapped that has a better voice.

[maverickarizona]

@wheelieblind ... where did it say that this program was for the handicapped? Yes the synthesized voice used in the making of the video isn't the greatest but there are other 3rd party commercial grade voices available such as AT&T voices which we were not able to use in the making of the video for legal reasons.

[poultryfaarm]

I think people wouldn't get past the sexy dress/undress, they'd think i'm a pervert, (don't get me wrong, I am a pervert, but I like to keep that kind of thing to myself.) I also like my porn and my AI kept seperate. :-D

[maverickarizona]

@poultryfaarm ... I can certainly appreciate that, even though the sexy clad secretaries are by far the most popular, not all characters are sexy clad or nude, the site offers over 70 characters to suit most tastes, including Androids and just head characters. For those who prefer a very conservative full bodied office style character, the male dressed in a suit may be more suitable, and he's included free in the site's New User Start Up Package.

[poultryfaarm]

What woman dresses like the ones at 1:09 to goto the office, apart from lapdancers attending an after hours party that is?

[maverickarizona]

@poultryfaarm .... in the real world, probably not very many women would dress quite that sexy. However, in the ideal male fantasy world this how most men would prefer to see their personal secretary dressed. Having a personal desktop secretary that dresses in a professional conservative manner like Martha Stewart just isn't going to cut it for most men.

[CpsLock3]

@o@ ahhhhhh uncanny valley

[lammers962]

hello there my name is Norris

[djlthe1]

What other components that I could have missed and everything was in one zip folder. I read all of the instructions for every feature that I wanted to use for that program. like for example if somebody mentions fish then say fish is good for you. If I use any statement with the word fish. the program will reply the whole statement again instead of just saying fish is good for you. Not to mention most of the files in the common folder for replies do not give half of the responses bad copy i guess

[maverickarizona]

You have to experiment with using various statements and terms in order for Answerpad to grasp what you want it to learn or remember, as with all AI programs it's important to use clear, simple, short and concise terms. By just feeding it a single statement like "fish is good for you", then anytime the word fish is used in a statement it won't necessarily always respond with that statement, most AI programs must be taught info by feeding it a variety of statements on a particular subject.

[maverickarizona]

Since the responses in the common files are used randomly based on certain triggers, it could be along time before you hear them all. A few of the common files may also be redundant as they were created for future use by other programmers.

[maverickarizona]

When you add a statement try adding SINGLE quotes around the term you want it to say, such as ... If somebody mentions fish then say 'Fish is good for you'.

If you don't add the quotes it will have a tendency to repeat the entire statement

[maverickarizona]

Answerpad Plus is far from perfect and is considered an entry level AI program. Many even consider it be the best free AI program available. If you want something more complex and robust try Ultra Hal. Out-of-the-box, AI programs aren't very intelligent, besides the learning curve on how to properly use them, they also must be fed and taught info by the user which can be a very time consuming endeavor requiring a lot of patience.

[djlthe1]

Answerpad plus would be a great program if all of the features worked properly and if it wasn't based on matching words.

[maverickarizona]

Most of the Answerpad features work ok, maybe you're missing some components, or possibly didn't read all the instructions. All artificial intelligence is based on some form of word association. In fact that's how humans learn to communicate, by association with what information they have been fed.

[vigintitres46]

mandi sounds sexy

[BaronVonLichtenstein]

Ai is probably 100 years off. Computers can't read. You can give them scripts. A number of rules, but sentience is necessary for understanding, therefore intelligence. For example, if it has no fear, it is not alive and can't understand. It is only following rules or scripts.

[maverickarizona]

AI has been broken down into basically 2 categories "Weak AI" and "Strong AI". Strong AI is defined as Machine AI that would be sentient, or self-aware with the ability to reason and feel much like a human. "Weak AI" on the other hand is defined as "making a machine behave in ways that would emulate human intelligence and behavior", and doesn't possess true human qualities like reasoning, feeling and self-awareness. Presently only Weak AI exists and Strong AI is likely light years away.

[BaronVonLichtenstein]

Yup. Programs are zombies. As intelligent as a lightswitch. I know someone who thinks all jobs wil be done by them in 20 years. Sure a computer will direct, knowing when an actors voice and facial expressions capture Tolstoy's intent, when the lighting is right, music appropriate, scenery realistic and moody. Human languages are symbolic, not literal. Even a chair is a vague concept not a collection of characters.

[BaronVonLichtenstein]

I could sum up the problem in one sentence. Zombies can't read. We start with a pleasure principle, seek pleasure avoid pain, bring in emotions, fear, joy before the reasoning. If they dont even have the self motivation for self preservation they understand nothing. Zombies can't read. First we feel, then we think, not the other way around.

[siciliano29]

I'm afraid you're both wrong... first of all, it's called "narrow" AI, which is the only AI technology available today.

"True" AI, or full AI, is not light years or even 100 years away. It will be achieved by the year 2035, the latest. If you understand how technology is increasing exponentially, not linearly, you'll understand why it'll be possible in only 25 years.

Watch some videos by futurist Ray Kurzweil...

[tukanhamen]

Hey probable the government already has strong AI.lol

[maverickarizona]

Actually "strong" and "weak" AI are correct terms and were first adopted by John Searle in 1980 to distinguish between two different hypotheses about artificial intelligence. Since then other's have coined alternative terms for "weak" AI, such as "applied" or "narrow" AI.

[maverickarizona]

As far as Kurzweil, he's merely making a hypothesis or an "educated guess" as to when "strong' AI (or Superintelligence) may come about. Nobody can predict with any certainty when this will occur, or to what degree. Many so called AI experts have written thesises and made predictions on the subject, only time will tell who's right. It will eventually happen but it could be anywhere from 25 to 100 years.

[DanFrederiksen]

awful

[maverickarizona]

Constructive criticism is fine, but by not elaborating what you don't like, the video or the products, your comment has no bearing and is meaningless. The video doesn't do the products justice, it's very difficult to make a quality screen capture of a character in action on the desktop and then turn into quality video for uploading to YouTube. This technology also might not be your cup tea, which is also fine as tastes vary, but we've had well over 12,000 customers that love it.

[DanFrederiksen]

well I guess that's sort of fair. it has all the fluid feel and virtuosity of being Stephen Hawking. it's painfully slow, it's mumbling, it seems to serve no purpose other than approximate 1990 computer strip poker porn. If you want to make a virtual assistant try it with a human, ask her to do various tasks, see how she answers, what pace, what maneurisms and if the speech synth is too poor then look into using samples speech. naturally delivered, not porn credibility

[DanFrederiksen]

and no black background with spotlight in the closet lighting

[maverickarizona]

Ok, that's better, and fair to say the video presentation isn't the greatest. We invested a fair bit of time and money trying different screen capture products and video software, none of the screen capture software would do a very good job in capturing the character and voice sync in action, and the quality was further reduced when compressing the video for YouTube. We were disappointed with the final result, but it was the best we good do, video creation isn't our forte or speciality.

[maverickarizona]

The video isn't a good representation of the technology's capabilities. Using natural human voices in place of the actual artificial speech technology certainly would have made the video better, but it would have been deceptive as people would expect the artificial speech technology to have the same quality as presented in the video. The purpose of the video is to just let people know the technology exists and they can try it out for themselves for free.

[maverickarizona]

The reason we used a black background was because it was the only way we could get the screen capture software to capture it properly.

[maverickarizona]

Granted, Ultra Hal out of the box has little knowledge or personality, this is by design so the user can teach it the type of info that's suits them and develop it into whatever type of personality they want.

Besides, Ultra Hal isn't even a DesktopMates product, Ultra Hal is just capable of utilizing DesktopMates characters. DesktopMates develops MS Agent character models and offers another Artificial Intelligence program which is totally free and included in their free start up package.

[knoxvilleguy2]

maverickarizona:

I have the free Trial version of Dawn that they let you download, & I use it with Answerpad to create a nearly convincing A.I. character, but I can't make the Cyber - Buddy program run with MS Vista to create a more well - rounded desktop A.I. virtual character.

Any ideas, hints, suggestions ?

[maverickarizona]

If you downloaded the free starter package there's a help file inlcuded which has some info in regards to installing and running CyberBuddy in Vista 32bit. However if you're running Vista 64bit it probably won't work. The author of CyberBuddy is supposedly working on upgrading the program to run on 64 bit systems.

[knoxvilleguy2]

maverickarizona:

I may go back & download Cyber - buddy again. I had the software, including the Dawn demo, on my previous Compaq / HP & I think the Windows version was " xp ". This computer is 5 months out of the box.

Anywho, I've seen other people that have played with AI on YouTube, I had the Kari program on my last computer too, & the subject intrigues the heck out of me. Add a mic, a web - cam, etc, & who knows what you could acheive ?

O.K., I know, I need a LIFE !! ;-)

[knoxvilleguy2]

And, BTW -

Thanks !!

[knoxvilleguy2]

& BTW -

Thanks for the advice.... !!

[halofighter4life]

ultra hal isnt inteligent but they should make one that has its own mind

[dkitov]

DesktopMates are fun, it's a sad thing so little people know about the MS Agent enabled programs like Ultra Hal. You can totally spend an entire day with one of these! Well done.