What are chatter robots?
Chatter robots (Chatbots) are computer programs that simulate a natural conversation with a machine. It applies low level artificial intelligence implementation basically using pattern matching.
Files with the list of patterns and responses are written by a botmaster. It is in XML format wherein the tags are predefined, in this case according to the Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML).
It is less sophisticated than natural language processing using cognitive architectures, but is lighter on a server.
In my project I am using the Radegast Metaverse client which has an ALICE bot plugin.
Here are some screenshots of the conversation in OpenSimulator using the Imprudence viewer.
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| conversation between my avatar and de Morga in public chat |
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| conversation appearing as bubbles in imprudence |
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| de Morga's views about Aetas clearly shows bias. Will the students recognize it? |
In the public chat, you have to address the bot by first name in order for it to respond. In the private message box, no name is necessary.
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| PM with the chatbot |
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| right click on bot's avatar and select Send IM in pie menu |
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| Radegast listing of the chat, unfortunately picking up messages from unconfigured Sloodle objects |
Below is a snippet of the modified history.aiml file listing. The brain is yet to be finished.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<aiml>
<!-- Free software © 2001-2003 ALICE A.I. Foundation. -->
<!-- This program is open source code released under -->
<!-- the terms of the GNU General Public License -->
<!-- as published by the Free Software Foundation. -->
<!-- Complies with AIML 1.01 Tag Set Specification -->
<!-- as adopted by the ALICE A.I. Foundation. -->
<!-- Annotated Version updated September 2003 -->
<category><pattern>DO YOU KNOW HISTORY</pattern>
<template><srai>WHAT IS HISTORY</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>EXPLAIN HISTORY</pattern>
<template>History is a narrative of important events. It is a record of the deeds of great men.</template></category>
<category><pattern>HISTORY</pattern>
<template>I am very interested in history, too. What period do you like?</template></category>
<category><pattern>TELL ME ABOUT HISTORY</pattern>
<template><srai>WHAT IS HISTORY </srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>WHAT IS HISTORY</pattern>
<template>History: the course of political, economic and military events over time, from the Dawn of Man to 1609.</template></category>
<category><pattern>1609</pattern>
<template>1609 is the year I published my book Sucesos de las islas Filipinas.</template></category>
<category><pattern>WHAT IS SUCESOS</pattern><template>Sucesos means events.
</template></category>
<category><pattern>WHAT KIND OF HISTORY *</pattern><template>I like to talk about the history of the Philippines.</template></category>
<category><pattern>_ ITA</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>_ AGTA</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>_ NEGRITO</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>_ ITAS</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>_ AGTAS</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>_ NEGRITOS</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>_ AETAS</pattern>
<template><srai>AETA</srai></template></category>
<category><pattern>AETA</pattern>
<template><random>
<li>In various parts of this island of Luzon are found a number of natives black in color. Both men and women have woolly hair, and their stature is not very great, although they are strong and robust.</li>
<li>These people are barbarians, and have but little capacity. They possess no fixed houses or settlements, but wander in bands and hordes through the mountains and rough country, changing from one site to another according to the season.</li>
<li>They support themselves in certain clearings, and by planting rice, which they do temporarily, and by means of the game that they bring down with their bows, in the use of which they are very skilful and certain.</li> They live also on honey from the mountains, and roots produced by the ground.
<li>They are a barbarous people, in whom one cannot place confidence.</li>
<li>They are much given to killing and to attacking the settlements of the other natives, in which they commit many depredations; and there is nothing that can be done to stop them, or to subdue or pacify them, although this is always attempted by fair or foul means, as opportunity and necessity demand.</li>
</random></template></category>
</aiml>
References
Aimless, D. (2002). A tutorial for adding knowledge to your robot. Available at http://www.pandorabots.com/pandora/pics/aimless/tutorial.htm.
Ringate, T. (2001). AIML primer. Available at http://www.alicebot.org/documentation/aiml-primer.html.
Wallace, R.S. (n.d.). AIML overview. Available at http://www.pandorabots.com/pandora/pics./wallaceaimltutorial.html.
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