Skip to main content

Author Ray Kurzweil develops new chatbot with Google based on one of his characters

google kurzweil chatbot 32554466 m
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Voice assistants are here to stay. Over the years, they’ve become ever more efficient at divulging our intentions and interpreting our internet data profiles to better understand what we want. It also helps that they (usually) know the difference between similar-sounding words like dad and bad. Ray Kurzweil, an author whose subjects include health, artificial intelligence, and transhumanism among others, is working with Google (which has been among the most active proponents in this field), to create chatbots. These bots are said to be more advanced than the norm, enabling more “interesting conversations.”

It remains to be seen how these bots will speak and what function they will fulfill. But Kurzweil specified that at least one of these chatbots would be based off of Danielle, a character from one of his books. Supposedly, these bots “come to life” by being fed humongous volumes of text. Blogs could be one example. The result isn’t anywhere close to human intelligence yet, and while we could have interesting conversations with AI systems, Kurzweil says that we will have to wait until 2029 before we can have meaningful ones. The bots should be able to pass the Turing test by then.

Perhaps even more tantalizing is the fact that Danielle was created by feeding the bot all of her dialogue from Kurzweil’s book. This particular AI should be released later this year, with more to follow. Kurzweil also says that the same thing could be applicable to something like a person’s blog. Though there’s no word on a release date, it seems to mean that we will eventually be able to profile ourselves as chatbots. But though our typographical clone war may be coming, it’s probably in a galaxy far, far away.

Let’s imagine the possibilities here for a moment. You could start a conversation with your teenage self to come to terms with what a brat you were, or you could profile a friend and throw the bot into the open, hoping nobody misuses it. There’s a lot of risks involved with being able to somehow profile ourselves via the texts that we write, and it seems fitting the giants sat down to hold an AI ethics meeting at the beginning of this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Dan Isacsson
Being a gamer since the age of three, Dan took an interest in mobile gaming back in 2009. Since then he's been digging ever…
What is Google Duplex? The smartest chatbot ever, explained
Human-sounding Google Duplex arrives on wide range of devices in the U.S.
google duplex hands on io2018 2835

The world's introduction to Google Duplex -- technology both impressive and a bit on the creepy side -- featured a human-sounding robot having a conversation with a person who couldn't even tell that they were talking to a robot. The demo during Google I/O 2018 freaked some people out, but it impressed our Mobile editor, Julian Chokkattu, who got a chance to try out Duplex recently.

Google Duplex is a big leap in the evolution of artificial intelligence (A.I.). No, it won't lead to human-like robots that can do the laundry or go shopping like in the movie I, Robot (at least not anytime soon). But Google Duplex is a huge step in terms of A.I.’s ability to more naturally converse with humans. But what is it exactly?
When is Google Duplex coming out?
In October 2018, Google announced that Duplex functionality would start rolling out to Pixel phones in November 2019 on a city-by-city basis, starting with New York City. Now, however, the company has noted that the tech is far more available. In a blog post, the company announced that Duplex is available on all Pixel phones in as many as 43 U.S. states. Now, Duplex has grown beyond the confines of Google's Pixel range, and as of April 2019, you can now use Google Duplex on a wide range of Android and iOS devices in the U.S.

Read more
Best color laser printers for 2024: tested and reviewed
A Brother printer on a counter in front of a brick wall.

The best color laser printers can be a great investment, saving you quite a bit of time and money. For shoppers worried about the long-term ink costs, you'll find color laser printers surprisingly affordable. Laser printers use toner, which lasts a very long time, delivering a low cost per page for monochrome documents and fast color prints. The best color laser printers offer quick performance and reliability to help keep your home office or small business productive.

If you need to scan documents for record-keeping and photo capture or want the convenience of a color copier, an all-in-one color laser printer is an essential tool for your small business or personal use. For a small added cost, you get expanded capabilities. That's why every model on this list is an all-in-one from the best printer brands.

Read more
The 5 best Wi-Fi adapters for PC in 2024
The Ugreen AC1300 Wi-Fi adapter in a desktop PC.

Whether you're designing it yourself or getting a pre-built PC, it can be easy to get a computer and realize that it doesn't have a native Wi-Fi adapter. Or, maybe it does, but you're internet speeds are getting faster, game downloads are getting bigger, you've already upgraded your router and need an adapter to match your newfound power requirements. No matter the situation, an external Wi-Fi adapter that you can add to your PC setup or even laptop setup will be worth your time. Here, we investigate the best Wi-Fi adapters for PC use. Most are incredibly affordable and just snap into a free USB port and start working.
The best Wi-Fi adapter for PC in 2024

Buy the

Read more