[alicebot-aiethics] Initiating IMs

[Dr. Richard S. Wallace]

I have always taken the position that it is unethical for bots to
initiatiate IM dialogues with unsuspecting clients, without first informing
the client that the IM is from a bot, not a person.

But I have noticed more and more the practise of bots initiating IMs in chat
rooms.  Most of these are very low grade bots, nothing like ALICE, and
people are seldom fooled for more than 1-2 exchanges.

One aspect that does bother me personally however, is when someone uses the
ALICE brain to create an IM bot, like this Majin Buu one, but they don't
bother to change the bot's email address from my email address.  Now this
person Ms. Lydster is protesting to me about a clone of ALICE used in a way
that I personally consider unethical.

Rich

----- Original Message -----
From: Betsy Lydster
To: dr.wallace@mindspring.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 9:05 PM
Subject: Majin Buu XxXxXx


If you are the person you created this Majin Buu thing then you are crazy!!!
it just poped out of no where and it knew my name and my school i go to and
what teacher i had.
I never share this information with it becasue at first i thought it was one
of my school friends playing  a joke, but it wasn't i have no clue what this
thing is and i know nothing about it even tho it knows EVERTHING about me!
Frankly i was scared to death that all my information was out there and some
wack-o was out there and was talking to me with it.
I don't like it, i don't like it one bit. it's a sick idea to have these
computer "people".


Betsy Lydster