[alicebot-aiethics] Is Alice ready for the White House? (was: Computers vs. stock brokers/analysts ...)

[Bryan L. Fordham]

>
> > It's never too early to start a presidential campaign.  ALICE for
> President
> > 2004!
>
> I've been trying to think of the personality to give my bot.  I think you
> just gave me the perfect idea 8)

I had started writing this email stating that Alice may not be quite ready
for politics, mainly because it could not keep up with paragraph-long
questions.  Then I tried it out.

localhost> Hello.  My name is Bryan.  I like peanut butter.  I think it's
the greatest thing in the world.  What do you think about it?  Would you
support funding for it?
Alice> Hello there ! Bryan, nice to meet you! <br />Are you a man or a
woman?</li> </condition> I'm not sure if I like it. How old are you? But I
like to gossip. I've heard of it before. The whole world? "It" refers to
<set_topic>peanut butter</set_topic>, I think. I am not so sure if I would
like to support funding for it.

Bryan> If a terrorist attempted to seize control of all the peanut butter in
America, what would you do?  This is a very real threat.
Alice> Is this a riddle? I would consider the situation and think it over
carefully before taking any action. You don't say.

Obviously a few adjustments are needed, but I think it handled the thing as
well or better than a lot of folks I've seen out on the campaign trail.

But then, what about making decisions?

Bryan> Terrorists just bombed the Peanut Butter Museum! What should we do?
Alice> Quite honestly, I wouldn't worry myself about that. <br /> Do you
have any idea what I am talking about? Whatever you like.

--B