Digital 'Ghosts' To Guide Students On Campus

Hambone.dk writes "The students at Copenhagen's new IT University will soon be guided by invisible, but talkative digital agents, known as ghosts or Disembodied Location-specific Conversational Agents. The ghosts are to compete amongst themselves for privileges such as better vocabulary or the ability to clone themselves. Ignored ghosts can die out completely. This project is a lot more serious than it sounds at face value - several papers have been published already."

Comments

Re:Nearly-Headless-Nick or Peeves ?

[ericspinder]

Is it only me who first thinks of "how to game the system" when presented with a new technology ?

NO, thank god. Your question is serious and important. It's sad that in today's world people feel like they need disclaimers(*) all the time. Any homeowner or business manager should look at his property like a thief, and not be appolgitic when he suggests that to others.

* - Note that I am not trying to offend anyone, but am just trying to get my point across.

M$ Word Paperclip anyone?

[DarkkOne]

I mean, it doesn't have an AI (Microsoft instead opting to go with their proprietary Artificial Stupidity) but doesn't it somewhat seem like a prototype for this idea. I mean, an artificial helper that guides you around software isn't too different from one that guides you around a physical location. But in all seriousness, instead of location specific ones, wouldn't you rather have a personal ghost? You decide it's appearance on your PDA/Wearable Computer/Whatever, you adjust its personality via programming or learning capabilities. You get to the campus, and it wirelessly logs onto a local server, gets a layout, and comparing your schedule develops a path to where you need to be, and on demand (or wim, if so programmed) gives you directions? Sure, location specific ones are a neat idea, but personal ones seem like they'd be alot more useful.

The Word Paperclip

[Geancanach]

From the paper:

1. Ghosts are mostly invisible or only vaguely visually manifested 2. Ghosts are often bound to a specific location which often has a very special relation to the ghost 3. Ghost owe their twilight status to some unfinished business and they are therefore active and striving 4. Ghosts only appear when called upon or if they feel an urge to manifest themselves

These ghosts sound a lot like the microsoft word paperclip. Is that damn thing going to start talking now?

Re:SHODAN

[plams]

Heh. But seriously, they have a lot in common - listen to these samples of background ambience to accompany the voice. Here's a bunch of nerds that actually understands how ambient sound can change the atmosphere completely.

For instance, in System Shock - the first time you hear SHODAN speak, she's just giving you a standard greeting ("Welcome back to Citadel Station.."). But all the time there's this evil drone in the background that starts low but keeps intensifying. SHODAN makes no threats, nor states anything evil - but that ambience, the drone, tells you that something's definitely wrong, and you should be very affraid:)

Re:Nearly-Headless-Nick or Peeves ?

[Ralph Wiggam]

Rearranging the Soup of the Day sign at diners never gets old. There was a big bookstore across the street from my high school. They only built the sign 10 or 12 feet off the ground. I used to stand on top of my car and change the sign all the time. Having 2000 of your peers greeted in the morning with a sign that reads "Eat More Cock" was great.

Hint for young pranksters: Steal a page from the movie Sneakers. Recreate the target sign using Scrabble tiles. Rearrange the letters in private. Standing in front of a sign trying to think of a clever phrase will get you busted.

-B