Subject:
2005 Chatterbox Challenge underway
Author:
anonymous
Date:
4/15/2005
PRESS RELEASE
15 Apr 05 – For Immediate release
FIFTH ANNUAL CHATTERBOX CHALLENGE UNDERWAY
Over 100 chatbots from around the world are taking part in the fifth annual Chatterbox Challenge. Chatbots are computer programmes designed to imitate human conversation, with the eventual aim of creating true virtual personalities and artificial intelligences.
The Chatterbox Challenge runs until 30th April and Internet users can talk to the competing chatbots through the competition web site at www.chatterboxchallenge.com.
The chatbots range from AOL and IRC chatroom and instant messaging bots to moving faces with synthesised speech. This year a special category has been created for the many bots built with the Personality Forge system. The competition is being sponsored again by James Livingood, an Artificial Intelligence enthusiast from the
USA. Last year's competition was won by Alice, a famous chatbot built by Dr Richard Wallace. Top contenders include A.I. Alex, Talk-bot, Ella, Jabberwacky and Elbot.
During the competition the chatbots are quizzed by judges to see how much they know, and how well they can conduct a normal "human" conversation. Points are also awarded for personality and additional capabilities – such as remembering visitors or being able to access web based services – such as Google and Amazon.
One prize is for the most popular chatbot. This is awarded on the basis of votes cast at the site. Everybody is invited to visit the site and talk to the bots, and vote for their favourite.
Chatterbox Challenge organiser Wendell Cowart says "Chatterbox Challenge is the ideal opportunity for chatbot developers to show off their chatbots, and compare themselves with the best chatbots in the world. The sheer variety of the chatbots entered is quite amazing. Some are based around knowing lots of things from the outset, whereas others are programmed to learn as they go along."
Chris adds "Chatbot names range from Aib to Zoe, and personalities vary from a banjo plucking hill-billy to a serial killer. New entries this year include Barry DeFacto from two times Loebner winner Robby Garner, and RoboMatix X1 from Egypt – a PC based Operating System Assistant".
Birmingham based chatbot developer David Burden of Advanced Chatbot Solutions says "As developers the contest gives us a real opportunity to find out just how good our chatbot is, what techniques work, and which don't. We are currently looking at how advanced techniques such as topic maps can help chatbots understand real world concepts and come up with more appropriate responses to a wider range of questions or statements. "
Chatbot technology is likely to become more and more prevalent in the coming years. Web sites using chatbots as virtual sales assistants are already reporting a 100% increase in traffic. The growth in use of large screen TVs at home, and the idea of the PC as the homes media center also opens up the real possibility of having a virtual assis
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