Microsoft Shows Off 'Milo' Virtual Human

adeelarshad82 writes "At TED Global in Oxford, Microsoft released a video showing off its 'virtual human' technology, named Milo, designed for the company's hands-free Xbox 360 motion controller called Kinect. Milo is built to react to people's emotions, body movements, and voice, allowing players to interact with the virtual character. It was built using artificial intelligence developed by Lionhead studios, along with undisclosed technology from Microsoft. According to games designer Peter Molyneux, the game exploits psychological techniques to make a person feel that Milo is real. Each Milo character will be unique because every player's interaction with the virtual character will sculpt the type of virtual person Milo will evolve to become."

Comments

Frightening

[Fwipp]

Honestly, I don't know whether this is the Uncanny Valley manifesting, but that kid just creeps me out.

Re:Frightening

[Anonymous Coward]

The purpose of ME was to make XP look good, just as the purpose of Vista was to make 7 look good.

Re:Frightening

[delinear]

I love the irony of your comment and your sig:

If Milo can't think for himself then he's nothing close to a virtual human.

--

You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.

Plenty of actual humans can't/don't think for themselves, so why is it a necessary requirement for a virtual human?

I want to blow his head off with a BFG 9000.

[EWAdams]

He's a video game character. I don't want him to be real. Him being real would miss the point entirely.

Re:Cheese whiz

[rainmouse]

Cheesy? I find this interactive grooming simulator nothing but sinister.

Re:Each one unique? don't believe the hype

[Servaas]

He's famous for his grand claims. Edge Magazine, a UK mature gaming magazine, use to do couple of pages with the man in them every so often. And I remember how he fabled up Fable 1 into grand momentous game that would revolutionize Action RPG's yet failed to impress anyone. Likewise with the game Black & White that supposed to push new heights for the god genre.

Re:Ultimately this wouln't go well.

[Stan Vassilev]

Let's see... what kind of horrible things to people do to Sims? Put them in a house with no toilet? Strand them in pool without a ladder? etc... I shudder at the abuse we'll see attempted and if this thing learns from it's interactions. Ick.

That demo looks cooked. Microsoft couldn't get basic speech to text to work reliably, they'll need to work harder to convince people that are sitting on a working AI that'll also interact freely with people as was demoed.

Also, I almost can imagine you eating delicious tortured and slaughtered animal stake while you were writing about the human rights of basic software programs.

People have no perspective on things at all.

Re:Ultimately this wouln't go well.

[Kenoli]

Microsoft couldn't get basic speech to text to work reliably

My thoughts exactly.

Probably straight prerendered video.

Re:Ultimately this wouln't go well.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to mention that he looks AT her which means she would have seen him looking off to the right just as we do. That is unless that TV was actually a hologram. Wow. Microsoft really is ahead of the game!!

Important Questions

[urusan]

If I turn off Milo, does he die?

What if I turn him off and then never play with him again?

What if I delete him?

Is it unethical to mass produce thousands of Milos that will live short (often abused) lives before they are forgotten or deleted?