This one that you’re looking at right here.Īmory Sivertson: I wouldn’t have pegged you for an office hours student Ben, I gotta say.īen: Yeah, but I love hanging out with everyone.

Helpful campus pedestrian: Yes it’s this building. Hey can you tell me, is this the new computer science building? Do you know? Trying to figure out where I’m going in order to meet a professor during office hours. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.īen Brock Johnson: I am back at college for the fall semester.

The transcript has been edited from our original script for clarity. This content was originally created for audio. Everyone who makes a monthly donation will get access to exclusive bonus content. If you want that too, we would deeply appreciate your contribution to our work in any amount. We love making Endless Thread, and we want to be able to keep making it far into the future. Show producers: Dean Russell, Quincy Walters, Nora Saks, Grace Tatter, and Megan Cattel

' Joseph Weizenbaum, professor emeritus of computer science, dies at 85' (MIT)Ĭo-hosts: Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

' Chatbots: A long and complicated history' (CNN Business).

' Why Mastering Language Is So Difficult for AI' (Undark).

Talk to ELIZA, the Computer Therapist (California State University, Fullerton).

Why did this computer's creator have a lot of complicated feelings about the development of AI? We also contemplate the bigger question: can AI help us cope with mental health issues? How are these pieces of software - which are meant to imitate human behavior and language - influencing our daily lives in sneaky, surprising ways?įirst up, our co-hosts delve into the history of ELIZA, the world's first chatbot therapist. They're all over social media platforms, chatrooms, phone apps, and more. For the next few weeks, the Endless Thread team will be sharing stories about the rise of bots.

Ben why didn't you tell me gif