Stand-Ins, was Re: Kurzweil's new Singularity/AI page

From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Sat Feb 24 2001 - 16:55:42 MST


hal@finney.org wrote:
>
> >From Nanodot, I learned that Raymond Kurzweil has a fancy new web page
> at http://www.kurzweilai.net/. It is full of Flashy graphics, and if
> you have a modern Windows box you can download software to animate an
> attractive AI avatar, Ramona, who will answer questions for you while
> throwing in a flirtatious wink or toss of her head.

Note that you have to be running IE to download the code and see the
animation--Netscape or Opera won't work.

At present, I find her (and all the stand-ins) to be a bit too fidgety,
and the voices to be insufficiently advanced from the ONR/Federal Screw
Works standard, to suit me. *shrug*

Also, check the transition from smile to baseline face. I haven't seen
Ramona do it, but the other stand-ins all look creepy to me when they
drop their smiles. So I don't want them standing in for me just yet.

> I have to admit he hooked me with this. Not to give anything away, I must
> reveal that I don't have an extra $40 trillion in my pockets right now.
> But it's a pretty good essay anyway.

Thanks for the pointer.

Mike



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