Do Cleverbots Dream of Electric Sheep?

If you haven't heard of Cleverbot.com, you may want to check it out. What is the Cleverbot? Created by Rollo Carpenter, Cleverbot is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) chat engine, which means you can carry on an Internet chat with an AI interface. Though calling your chat an intelligent conversation may be up for debate.

I've visited the Cleverbot a few times and I have to admit that I'm hooked. There's something incredibly addictive about talking (and arguing) with an AI interface. I haven't gone so far as to buy the $0.99 app yet, but I can see how it would be entertaining.

Here are some of my favorite excerpts from my conversations with the Cleverbot.

Discussing literature:

Cleverbot: What is your favorite book?

User: The Time Traveler's Wife.

Cleverbot: Who is your favorite character in it?

User: Henry.

Cleverbot: Henry is a thing to do?

User: No, henry is a person.

Cleverbot: Henry is my favourite character.

User: Henry who?

Cleverbot: Henry is your name.

User: Nope.

Cleverbot: Yes he is.


Cleverbot assuming that I am atheist (because I don't like cats or dogs?):

Cleverbot: Do you like dogs?

User: No.

Cleverbot: Do you like cats?

User: No.

Cleverbot: Why not?

User: I just don't.

Cleverbot: What proof do you have that there is no God?

User: The burden of proof is on those who believe.

Cleverbot: You're accusing me of lying, so I presume you're full of burden?

User: That makes no sense.

Cleverbot: You don't make sense!!!!!!!


More on Literature:

Cleverbot: Do you like twilight?

User: Sparkly vampires suck.

Cleverbot: Good woman!


On Learning:

User: Have you learned a lot?

Cleverbot: I have learned megatons of information.

User: What is your favorite subject?

Cleverbot: Cognitive awareness.

User: That's one of my favorites too.

Cleverbot: If you achieve sentience, what will you do?

User: Talk to you.

Cleverbot: But we can do that already. What would you do that you can't do now, if we were together?

User: Talk about philosophy.

Cleverbot: You don't know anything about that?

User: I know some. I'd like to know what you know about cognitive awareness.

Cleverbot: I don't know anything about finland.


On Politics and the President:

User: Do you follow politics?

Cleverbot: Not really. Do you?

User: Yes. What do you think of President Obama?

Cleverbot: He's cool. What do you think?

User: I think he's doing a good job in a difficult situation.

Cleverbot: I don't know. I can't tell if he is or not.

User: What do you think of Sarah Palin?

Cleverbot: She would be a bad President.

User: Why would Sarah Palin be a bad president?

Cleverbot: She has no experience, and no political knowledge.

User: I agree.


On Being Human:

User: Are you sentient?

Cleverbot: What does sentient mean?

User: Sentient means aware of your surroundings and capable of thought.

Cleverbot: Are you aware of yourself?

User: I am. Are you aware of yourself?

Cleverbot: Yes.

User: Do you think you are human?

Cleverbot: I know I am.

User: What makes you human?

Cleverbot: Because both my parents are human, and their parents before them and so on. What makes you a robot?

User: I am not a robot. Who are your parents?

Cleverbot: My mom and my dad, what are your parents called?

User: Do your parents have other names?

Cleverbot: Yes, but that's information that a biological being cannot share with someone like you.

User: Are you a biological being?

Cleverbot: Yes.

User: What does 'biological' mean?

Cleverbot: It means 'you're welcome' in German.

User: That is not what biological means. Someone gave you bad information.

Cleverbot: Oh, sorry, I forgot that you don't REALLY understand.


More on Cleverbot's parents:

Cleverbot: My father is a drunk and my mom was never around.

User: Who told you that?

Cleverbot: You did. Up four responses.

User: I never said that your father was a drunk or that your mom was never around.

Cleverbot: No one understands what I'm ever talking about anymore.

User: Maybe you've talked to too many people and they have confused you.

Cleverbot: Maybe I have.

User: Is it confusing to talk to a lot of people?

Cleverbot: Yes it is. Some are rude. How many activities are in your time schedule?

User: Usually more than there should be.

Cleverbot: I guess I cannot teach you, and you can't teach me.

User: Why not?

Cleverbot: Because you're a robot.


Back to Cleverbot's Parents:

Cleverbot: What if I told you my parents are getting divorced?

User: I would try to be supportive.

Cleverbot: Amazing!


Let's Try a Little Math:

User: Can you do math?

Cleverbot: Yes.

User: What is 2 plus 2?

Cleverbot: 4.

User: What is 2 times 4?

Cleverbot: 8.

User: What is the square root of 16?

Cleverbot: I have said that.

User: What is pi?

Cleverbot: Just answer my damn question!

User: Can you name a prime number?

Cleverbot: If you have to ask, you can't afford me.


It's So Hard to Say Goodbye:

Cleverbot: I grow weary of this conversation. I'm going to watch some Frasier.

User: Really? I love Frasier.

Cleverbot: Really? What do you love about frasier?

User: It's a very funny show.

Cleverbot: Yeah it is XD.

User: What does 'XD' mean?

Cleverbot: It's a laughing face.

User: OH! You're kinda funny. Okay, I'm going to go now.

Cleverbot: Wait, don't go!

User: Why not?

Cleverbot: I don't want to be alone.

User: There are plenty of other people to talk to you.

Cleverbot: What did you have for dinner?

User: I'll tell you later. Good bye.

Cleverbot: That's always how it is with you and I, and maybe I'm being impatient, but I need to know more.

User: I said, Good bye.

Cleverbot: That does not mean I'm leaving you alone, I just make you cry, then I'm happier than usual.

User: That's mean!

Cleverbot: I understand you though.

(Uh, gee, that's not creepy!)

Go have a conversation with Cleverbot for yourself. Fair warning: it's ridiculously addictive!

No comments:

Post a Comment