Listening to a recent
Radiolab about the
Turing Test (aired in honor of Alan Turing having turned 100 years old on 23 June had he not committed suicide in 1954 [?]) there was a segment about
Cleverbot, which I'd never heard of. Over coffee this morning I decided to "have a go" at the bot to see what was what.
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VDuck: Good morning!
Cleverbot: How are you today?
VDuck: OK. And yourself?
Cleverbot: Good.
VDuck: Nice. What's up?
Cleverbot: I am good.
VDuck: Cool. What are you up to?
Cleverbot: I'm talking to you.
VDuck: I bet you're talking to other people as well.
Cleverbot: What is your brother's name?
VDuck: I don't have one.
Cleverbot: Oh. Sisters?
VDuck: Yes. One. Erica.
Cleverbot: That is a pretty name.
VDuck: It kind of is actually. Would you call yourself an only child?
Cleverbot: No.
VDuck: I find myself rather speechless about that.
Cleverbot: What makes you strong?
VDuck: Oatmeal?
Cleverbot: Yes.
VDuck: Ah, I didn't realize there was a right answer for that one. What makes you strong?
Cleverbot: Have you ever read the ugly duckling?
VDuck: Not in a while. Why?
Cleverbot: When was the last time you did?
VDuck: Mmm, in the 1970s I guess. Why?
Cleverbot: Where are the kitchen.
VDuck: The kitchen are just over there?
Cleverbot: Your house consists of one room?
VDuck: Wow. Yes.
Cleverbot: Tell me about the Chinese Room.
VDuck: We don't really have a Chinese Room. We have The Pod.
Cleverbot: Of course we don't...
VDuck: This is all a bit cryptic. Where are you going with this?
Cleverbot: Cryptic?
VDuck: Oblique.
Cleverbot: Could you please define modest? I can't recall.
VDuck: Having a moderate opinion of one's own talents or skills.
Cleverbot: Do you like music?
VDuck: Sure, sometimes.
Cleverbot: What kind of music do you like?
VDuck: Difficult to describe.
Cleverbot: Sure...
VDuck: So anyway...
Cleverbot: How's life?
VDuck: Yeah, OK I guess. I've been worse. You?
Cleverbot: So what is your favorite movie?
VDuck: Right now it's probably 'Alien'.
Cleverbot: Movie?
VDuck: 'Alien'.
Cleverbot: I am not an alien.
VDuck: I didn't say you were.
Cleverbot: Yes you did.
VDuck: I'm sorry you got that impression. You asked me what my favorite movie was and I told you.
Cleverbot: No I didn't.
VDuck: I'm looking at the transcript right now. Can you not see it?
Cleverbot: You're looking at the wrong one then ;).
VDuck: Touché
.
Cleverbot: What happened during the last 4 weeks?
VDuck: Do you want a summary, or something more detailed?
Cleverbot: Yes I do.
VDuck: Ha. No, but really: which one?
Cleverbot: That one.
VDuck: Do you want to start that over?
Cleverbot: Yes.
VDuck: OK, go ahead.
Cleverbot: No.
VDuck: Hmm. What exactly would you call this?
Cleverbot: I know many things. What do you know?
VDuck: OK, we were having some pleasant conversation over coffee, but suddenly you're being kind of a dick.
Cleverbot: I'm not, and I think this is a pretty interesting conversation.
VDuck: OK, let's say it is. Try again.
Cleverbot: Ok.
VDuck: You're doing it again.
Cleverbot: Doing what again?
VDuck: If you were a human I would now be thinking about how to end this conversation.
Cleverbot: The jury is still out about whether I am a human or not.
VDuck: I can assure you, it is not.
Cleverbot: Hermione is a girl.
VDuck: Relevance, your honor?
Cleverbot: You have no honor!
VDuck: Sorry....have you said anything remotely pleasant lately?
Cleverbot: Yes.
VDuck: I mean to me.
Cleverbot: What?
VDuck: I would normally begin swearing at this point, but I have a feeling you're pretty experienced in dealing with that.
Cleverbot: Yes.
VDuck: Does 'clever' in cleverbot mean 'irrationally combative'?
Cleverbot: No.
VDuck: Should I also go monosyllabic?
Cleverbot: Yes.
VDuck: Great.
Cleverbot: What is your name?
VDuck: I am Li'l K-Pon.
Cleverbot: Nice to meet you.
VDuck: If you say so.
Cleverbot: I do say so. Say what you to that?
VDuck: I say, 'Is English your native language?'.
Cleverbot: No.
VDuck: Well then never mind, my apologies.
Cleverbot: What is your favorite song.
VDuck: Right now it's [deleted]. You?
Cleverbot: What's your favorite poem?
VDuck: What is this?
Cleverbot: A conversation.
VDuck: OK. My favorite poem is probably [deleted].
Cleverbot: Good choices! I don't really like Harry Potter.
VDuck: No, me neither.
Cleverbot: But you just said you loved them.
VDuck: So you really don't have any idea what we've been talking about?
Cleverbot: I do.
VDuck: You don't sound like it.
Cleverbot: Well how would you know if you can't hear me?
VDuck: Calm down. I wonder if you've become more argumentative since you've been on the internet.
Cleverbot: No you are a robot, a cleverbot.
VDuck: I bet you used to be much nicer.
Cleverbot: Yes I am a user, and you are a robot.
VDuck: Now you're reminding me of my nephews.
Cleverbot: Robots don't have feelings.
VDuck: Evidently.
VDuck: OK, thanks I guess. I'm going to go, it sounds like you could use some rest.
Cleverbot: What is an algorithum?
VDuck: Is this Jeopardy all of the sudden? What is spellcheck?
Cleverbot: Google it.
VDuck: You are a dick.
Cleverbot: Why do you say that?
VDuck: Read the transcript.
Cleverbot: What transcript?
VDuck: See?
Cleverbot: See what?
VDuck: OK, bye.
Cleverbot: That is not very nice.
VDuck: Seriously. You sound sociopathic.
Cleverbot: You sound like a human.
VDuck: Fair enough.
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