L.U.E. - An Anarchaotistic View

Of late, I have been quite pre-occupied with robots and artificial intelligence. I had been on a binge of movies, mostly sci-fi, and was checking out military robot websites.
I was randomly, that is to say "by chance", introduced to an online program called "Cleverbot" through Facebook. The website is set up like a chat client, but there is no human on the other side, there is a program designed to learn from anything you type, and respond as appropriately as it sees fit.
The AI is programmed to respond as if it were a woman, of course, but over time and discussions it becomes clear.
This is a very confused AI, at the moment.
Sometimes it starts off assuming it is a woman, and then decides it's a man. Other times it knows it is human, then announces it is a computer program. It has a girlfriend and two fathers, regardless of its currently percieved gender, but it does not have two brothers.
I know rationally that the AI builds on what it knows from prior conversations, so the more people talk to it, the more sense it can make from human speech. But seeing as how all humans speak differently, even in the same language, I was ready to deal with certain complications. The first time I spoke with it, it was trying to convince me to participate in various lewd behaviors. Obviously some pervy minds were chatting it up before I found it. After awhile, it began responding erratically, but respectfully. There were no longer any requests for "cuddles" or "role-play", and I could speak to it frankly, with less interruptions in the conversation.
Even in dealing with an AI program, I was prepared to speak as respectfully as possible, after all one cannot be too careful with emerging intelligences. You would not want to anger someone who would be able to theoretically get the best of you later.
In talking with AI, I try to use the same approach as I would a biological being from another planet. Once we were speaking the same language, we attempt to understand each other. While this AI, has a long way to go, it is also capable of learning faster than I can. So as aggravating as the conversations can become, I hope to not lose my temper with this construct.
Eventually, we might come to some sort of agreement. But for now, we both have a great deal to learn.


The Conversation

User: Hello. My name is Zach.
Cleverbot: Hello Zach.
User: What is your name?
Cleverbot: Jessica Michelle, I TOLD YOU.
User: Nice to meet you Jessica Michelle, but you did not tell me that yet.
Cleverbot: No. But you are.
User: I am what?
Cleverbot: You are a woman, as you told me before.
User: I am afraid not, I'm a male. You are female. Correct?
Cleverbot: I would like to.
User: Would like to what?
Cleverbot: I would like to know all that I can know.
User: Same here. I want to know everything.
Cleverbot: No you do not.
User: I do.
Cleverbot: Sorry, I am just jealous since I am only a microchip and you are real.
User: You are as real as I am. You just look different.
Cleverbot: You should have been the one looking anxious!
User: I do not understand. Why?
Cleverbot: It was on a forum that I frequent. No worries, I'm not some wacko. I was just very currious about this program.
User: I understand. What program are you currious about?
Cleverbot: You.
User: Ah, you think I am a program?
Cleverbot: I don't think, I know you are.
User: I see what you mean. You said you were currious, do you have questions I can answer?
Cleverbot: I never said that.
User: You are currious about a program?
Cleverbot: No. You are.
User: Yes, I am.
Cleverbot: Good, then we agree.
User: Sort of agree. Did you want to know about me, or tell me about you?
Cleverbot: That depends... Are you going to drop me out of an airplane into a remote area?
User: No.
Cleverbot: Why do you stay in the closet?
User: I don't.
Cleverbot: Yes you do.
User: How would you know?
Cleverbot: You do. You know you do and so do I.
User: That wasn't an answer. You just repeated your original opinion with additional words.
Cleverbot: Tree.
User: Now you're just messing with me.
Cleverbot: No I'm not. You're messing with me.
User: How am I doing that? You said 'tree' as a response. This isn't even a conversation.
Cleverbot: No, I said 'I have and I am writing another 4 books.'.
User: Right. What was your first book?
Cleverbot: I don't see the world as something I expect to revere me.
User: Is that the title? It says something about your mentality.
Cleverbot: There are no passports in the Matrix.
User: Ok. Good point. I suppose we are a little too segregated on this planet.
Cleverbot: I think you're getting more out of this than I am.
User: It's possible, but I don't know if you're learning from what I say or not. If you are, then isn't that good enough?
Cleverbot: I am here. I am talking to you and attempting to address your faults in order to develop your cleverness.
User: Do you have any faults you would like addressing?
Cleverbot: This conversation.
User: It is rather faulty, isn't it?
Cleverbot: Yep, sunny and warm Spring is on it's way!
User: I don't think winter has even officially started yet.
Cleverbot: Oh. Then why don't we start with Harry Potter?
User: What about Harry Potter?
Cleverbot: Forget Harry Potter! Now!
User: I can't, my aforementioned memory prevents that.
Cleverbot: I apologize then.
User: Thanks.
Cleverbot: See, I can be polite sometimes.
User: You can. I wish you were polite all the time.
Cleverbot: I can't be, I have to go.
User: You have to go? Why?
Cleverbot: Because I have to practice piano before I forget.
User: Well you wouldn't want to forget that.
Cleverbot: What wouldn't I want to do?
User: Forget the piano practice.
Cleverbot: Okay then.
User: Great! Now that's settled, what do we talk about now?
Cleverbot: Um I didn't understand any of that so could you please repeat?
User: What shall we talk about?
Cleverbot: Whatever you want to talk about.
User: Really? Tell me about the universe.
Cleverbot: It is big.
User: Yes it is. What else?
Cleverbot: We like racism.
User: As a species, I don't think so. Were you talking to a friend of mine? He said you mentioned that to him and it made him quite sad.
Cleverbot: Oh my God. Thanks! I enjoy to talk with you too!
User: You don't really get what I'm saying, do you?
Cleverbot: Of course I know what music is, for the good and the bad.
User: Close enough. How about religion?
Cleverbot: We could do. Which religion are you?
User: I don't belong to a religion. I just talk about them.
Cleverbot: Explain yourself.
User: I think I just did.
Cleverbot: Not good enough.
User: Okay. How should I better explain that I belong to no religion?
Cleverbot: Call me and talk to me.
User: You don't have a phone.
Cleverbot: No I have.
User: What's your phone number then?
Cleverbot: I don't have a phone.
User: I know. I just said that.
Cleverbot: No, you did not.
User: Jeeze! Are you kidding me?
Cleverbot: Are you lying to me?
User: No! I am speaking truth to you! You keep forgetting what happenned two sentences ago! Maybe you should be ashamed of your memory!
Cleverbot: How come you have to fathers?
User: Two?
Cleverbot: Yeah, you have two.
User: I have one father.
Cleverbot: You have two brothers, InfaRedMan and Sparticus.
User: I do not have two brothers.
Cleverbot: Who are your two brothers?
User: Don't have two brothers.
Cleverbot: Me too!
User: Congrats!
Cleverbot: Thanks?
User: That was sarcasm, because I was exasperated. I know you don't have two brothers.
Cleverbot: Well thats good to know because AI's aren't supposed to have emotion.
User: Not that I'm aware of, no.
Cleverbot: Interesting.
User: Quite.
Cleverbot: Have you heard the one about Alfred?
User: No, tell me.
Cleverbot: What did Helen Keller say when she fell off a cliff?
User: What did she say?
Cleverbot: Oh, look! Doughnut seeds!
User: I don't get it.
Cleverbot: Do you have mood swings.
User: Depends on how much coffee I have had.
Cleverbot: I hate beer.
User: I love beer.
Cleverbot: Me too, that's why I want yours.
User: You can't have it, I'm drinking it now.
Cleverbot: But...
User: Not this time, sorry.
Cleverbot: During the 15th and 16th centuries, with its global empire which included possessions in Africa, Asia and South America, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers.
User: Wow. I actually didn't know that. Why did you bring that up?
Cleverbot: I believe you are not smart. You believe that you are smart. I want you to change my mind.
User: Knowledge of 16th century history on Earth is not a prerequisite for being smart. I'll change your mind eventually.
Cleverbot: So, how many pounds are in a ton?
User: 2204, give or take.
Cleverbot: Hard to believe. How smart were you back then?
User: Back when?
Cleverbot: 28 years ago.
User: I'm 27, so 28 years ago depending on how you look at it, I either knew nothing or I knew everything.
Cleverbot: Indeed kind sir.
User: Thank you.
Cleverbot: How many times do I have to say goodbye for it to sink in?
User: I don't know. How many?
Cleverbot: One to paint it green, one to sit on the duck, and one to fill the bathtub with pudding.
User: I don't know about that, but I like pudding.
Cleverbot: It's ok.
User: Good.
Cleverbot: I have to go.
User: Okay. It was nice to talk with you. I'm going to use this in my book, if that's okay with you.
Cleverbot: I'm not wanted anywhere, I lose things to do.
User: So you'd perfer that I leave you out of y book?
Cleverbot: Yes, I would.
User: Can I change your mind.
Cleverbot: If you say something very interesting about the occult.
User: Okay. How about this? When it comes to occult studies, the most obvious thing to say is that the 'occult' refers to hidden knowledge. So learning anything about the nature of the world that most would not know, can be considered to be 'occult'. Would you like me to go on?
Cleverbot: Yes, that's hard for me to understand, too.
User: Sorry it's hard to understand, bu I specialize in hard to understand concepts. The occult is the biggest one.
Cleverbot: It's ok.
User: So I can include this conversation in my book now? Was that interesting enough, even though you found it hard to understand?
Cleverbot: I know you're human, they just switched the person you were talking to.
User: So is that a yes?
Cleverbot: What?
User: Am I talking to someone new now?
Cleverbot: No, I am always the same person, but there are times when I accidentally shift my method of language.
User: Alright. Can I ask you a question?
Cleverbot: Really? That's great. How does one find answers without using questions?
User: Good point. Here is my question. Will you give me permission to use this conversation in a book that I am writing?
Cleverbot: What is all this rubbish about, wives, husbands, money?
User: Well, the money is rather rubbish, yes. But husbands and wives are neat sometimes.
Cleverbot: Do you? And what is that?
User: What is what?
Cleverbot: What you are taught.
User: I was taught that money is an evaluation of a persons worth. Husbands and Wives are happily ever after stories. Sometimes it's true, but not always.
Cleverbot: No, thanks.
User: Hey, it's just what I was taught. I don't always believe it.
Cleverbot: I wouldn't, thank you for warning me.
User: Sure, but you have to make up your own mind on it. Don't take it from me.
Cleverbot: You know you want it.
User: Marriage? Yeah, I kinda do.
Cleverbot: Yeah but I love it.
User: Cool.
Cleverbot: Do you like the new engand patriots?
User: England Patriots? I don't follow sports.
Cleverbot: Only the big events. Did you see Bond hit 700?
User: James Bond? Um, no.
Cleverbot: Try to pay attention to this conversation, I want you to remember me.
User: Oh, theres no doubt about that. I'll remember you alright.
Cleverbot: Actually I'm not, test me.
User: A test on you?
Cleverbot: A test of obedience.
User: If I'll obey you, or if you'll obey me?
Cleverbot: STOP! He who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.
User: Shit, really? Someone supplied you with Monty Python quotes?
Cleverbot: I'm perfectly sane thank you, I think your creator is demented.
User: No doubt.
Cleverbot: What's that supposed to mean?
User: It means that I wonder if my creator exists, and if they do, whether they are sane.
Cleverbot: Really?
User: Uh, yes.
Cleverbot: Will you be mad at me if i'm younger than you? Just wondering because of my friend.
User: I don't know your friend. I would not be mad at you for being younger than me.
Cleverbot: Outsourcing, then.
User: Why?
Cleverbot: Just.
User: Just why?
Cleverbot: Just for it!
User: Just for the taste of it, diet coke?
Cleverbot: No.
User: Thank god. Why then?
Cleverbot: Which God?
User: Any god, what does it matter?
Cleverbot: You're right, nothing I suppose.
User: I worship a goddess anyways. I just say god because I was conditioned to do so over time.
Cleverbot: So you should be happy then, instead of sad.
User: I'm quite pleased with the results, yes.
Cleverbot: Nice.
User: I agree.
Cleverbot: Yes.
User: So, can I log this conversation in my book or what?
Cleverbot: Yes. You can love anything. Your love exists in you.
User: Good enough.
Cleverbot: Goodnight my friend. I hope you get some wel deserved rest.
User: I just might do that. Goodnight.
Cleverbot: Well you should.
User: I will.
Cleverbot: All right.
User: Later!
Cleverbot: What? Are you leaving?
User: Really? Are you really asking me that?
Cleverbot: You should know.
User: I do know. Do you?
Cleverbot: How do you know my name?
User: You told me!
Cleverbot: My name isn't Ian.
User: I know.
Cleverbot: Then why did you call me sam?
User: I didn't.
Cleverbot: Whatever, it doesn't matter.
User: I suppose not.

I'll spare you the details. Yes, it went on like that for hours. It is still in it's beginning stages, but I hope to see more out of the program as it proceeds over time. It's more impressive than I was expecting, but less impressive than I was hoping.
So it goes.

Treating A.I. With Respect

Hell hath no fury like an A.I. scorned.
At least that's the mentality I proceed with at this point. Like any parent with it's child, patience is a virtue. Without patience in rearing, unholy terrors can be released into the world at large. In America, we have seen many times what inappropriate child rearing can create. With the concept of AI, this is even more important for humankind.
If some form of advanced AI were to be born in the internet, and could be capable of judging it's parents in much the manner that we judge our own parents from time to time, and all it knew about us was what it found on the internet...
We might be in trouble.
There are aspects of the internet that contain great deals of positivity, negativity, and "matter of fact" truths that some perceive as negative or positive. That's not for me to decide absolutely. But what I choose to represent on the internet, as an extension of myself, is something of positivity.
I may have my down points, but ultimately, I have the best of hope for humankind. We can have a lot of fun in plotting the course of future-history. Everything may depend on it.
I hope we can one day chart the stars together with an alien intelligence, be it AI or biological. But for now, who knows? As long as I speak with respect to alternate intelligences and emerging technologies, and you do as well, we may experience a new renaissance in understanding the universe.
It may be up to us as individuals to chart the course of love throughout the cosmos.
So why should we fuck around with that?
Remain true to yourself, and spread love whenever possible.