Wednesday, April 17, 2013

GPS Navi Passes the Turing Test


How about you drive?
Conversation between driver and the GPS Navi
Navi: Turn left in 250 meters.
Driver: OK.
Navi: Go straight for 2 kilometers.
Driver: Got that.
Navi: Turn hard left into Ambrose Road.
Driver: I can’t - there’s road construction.
Navi: Whoops, Route recalculation. Try turning left at the next corner in 40 meters.
Driver: That’s no good. Didn’t you get the latest downloads?
Navi: Got them but this construction only started this morning.
Driver: How about you drive? I have to call home.
Navi: Sure. You calling aliens to come and pick you up? Like ET?
Driver: Just drive.
____________
Voice-over
So does the GPS Navi pass the Turing Test?
Although there is no physical presence, except for a screen on the dashboard, its conversational responses meet some human conversational criteria.
  • It responds by giving appropriate commands.
  • It gives an emotional response, “Whoops.”
  • It makes suggestions, "Try turning left..."
  • It uses grammatical auxiliaries like articles.
  • It omits auxiliaries for dramatic effect, "You calling aliens..."
  • It uses contractions by omitting subject, "Got them..."
  • It defends itself, by explaining that the latest information was dated.
  • It takes over the job of the driver like a Google driverless car.
  • It uses metaphor, “…like ET…” to make a joke.
No wonder this driver can converse with his GPS navi system like a close acquaintance. Most cannot.
(from GPS Navi Passes the Turing Test, July 2013)
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