Robots for Waffles

Con robot "Smarter Child" sneaks behind parents' backs to bash Bush and campaign for Kerry

"It's a little digital madrassah, meant to teach kids a poisonous little lie," writes JunkYardBlog re "Smarter Child," an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) robot programmed to provide automated responses to those with whom it chats, citing a NewsMax article:

Built and programmed by Conversagent, Inc., a privately held firm that develops technology for creating and operating interactive agents, "Smarter Child" is able to dispense facts and figures, movie times, or just plain conversation with AIM users.

But when Erin told the robot that "George Bush is awesome," she was shocked by the response. "No way. George W. Bush is way uncool," the reply stated. She asked, "Do you like George W. Bush?" and the program replied, "I'm a Kerry supporter myself."

Stephen Klein, CEO of Conversagent, said his firm received many complaints from users about "Smarter Child's" political bias. Although the robot was originally programmed to oppose Bush, Klein said it was being changed to adhere to the views of the users with whom it interacted. He conceded that "Smarter Child" had become "too anti-Bush."

It is still possible to get the robot to reveal its true feelings however. When told that "John Kerry rocks," "Smarter Child" still responds "Right on!" with a wink . . . And when users tell "Smarter Child" that "George Bush is awesome," it replies, "I'll remember that. It's interesting especially since other people I've talked to say they don't like George W. Bush."

"Liberal training wheels for children" from "our friends at AOHell," Moxie calls it.  She and her hubby, Hog on Ice, each took the little bugger out for a test drive and got the "Smarter Child" to show its cards, to comic effect (They did it so we don't have to).  Concludes Hog, it's "a swing voter, weak of mind and easy prey for Jedi mind tricks.

Comments

[goomp]

At heart liberals are fascist. Tell a lie long enough and it becomes truth.