Google Patents Fooling Friends With Snooping, Chatbots

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Google Patents Fooling Friends With Snooping, Chatbots

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday November 20, 2013 @04:26AM from the is-it-because-of-your-plans-you-say-google-knows-everything-about-you? dept.

theodp writes "Google takes Scroogling to new heights with its just-patented Automated Generation of Suggestions for Personalized Reactions in a Social Network, which not only data mines "e-mail systems, SMS/MMS systems, micro blogging systems, social networks or other systems" to get the buzz on your social circle, but also uses the data it collects to make like ELIZA and formulate appropriate responses for you to send as if they were your own (e.g., 'Happy Birthday, Mom!). Wouldn't Turing be so proud! From the patent: 'In a third example, a friend, David, sends Alice public or private message of a particular but regularly encountered message type (e.g., "how are you doing?" a common way to greet someone in the United States). The suggestion generation module suggest a good set of reactions to David, for example, based on the professional profile of David from the social network indicating that David has changed employers. The suggestion generation module generates a reply message such as "Hey David, I am fine, You were in ABC corp. for 3 years and you recently moved to XYZ corp., how do you feel about the difference, enjoying your new workplace?" The content of this suggestion are based on 1) prior conversations between Alice and David, 2) previous messages sent by Alice to other friends and 3) messages (sent by other connections in Alice's friend circle to David) which are either publicly or privately accessible to Alice, or some combination of these. Thus, the suggestion generation module generates messages that are personalized based upon both the sender and recipient using information that is accessible (public or private) to the sender.' Looks like Facebook may not be the only one strip-mining human society!"

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The hell? by Qzukk · 2013-11-20 04:31 · Score: 4, Interesting

Hey David, I am fine, You were in ABC corp. for 3 years and you recently moved to XYZ corp., how do you feel about the difference, enjoying your new workplace?
If I received a text like that I'd know it was from a bot. I am fully aware I was in ABC corp for 3 years and I recently moved to XYZ corp, I don't need a reminder.
How about:

How's the new gig?
Hm, maybe I better patent bots that actually talk like a human?

--
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
1. Re:The hell? by RandomUsername99 · 2013-11-20 05:07 · Score: 2
  
  Hi, Qzukk, I am fine. You responded to a comment saying that you make better patent bots that actually talk like a human?. Do you plan on doing this in a way that would risk infringement on google's well-made copyrights?
This is awesome ! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-11-20 04:34 · Score: 5, Insightful

Maybe in the future we just have bots talking to each other, so I don't have to engage in actual conversation !
1. Re:This is awesome ! by Nerdfest · 2013-11-20 04:50 · Score: 2
  
  I am interested in your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
2. Re:This is awesome ! by gsslay · 2013-11-20 05:57 · Score: 2
  
  Yeah, this is great. Now you can have endless "conversations" with people you don't care enough about to actually keep up-to-date with, asking them questions you don't care the answer to.
3. Re:This is awesome ! by nmr_andrew · 2013-11-20 07:27 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  So, Google just patented Facebook?
Finally, a social network for me! by nullchar · 2013-11-20 04:35 · Score: 5, Funny

We just need a giant network of bots, seeded from real human interaction, to play this conversation game with each other. Then sell all of that "content" to advertisers which would echo back into the system, thereby making the advertisers think their products/services are desirable based on increased communication.
I would no longer be bored by real life social sharing, but would watch this network like the Game of Life!
Potential creepyness. by SuricouRaven · 2013-11-20 04:42 · Score: 4, Funny

"Happy Birthday, Son!"
"Dad? You came back! I thought we'd lost you forever. Where are you now?"
"Any good presents?"
"Be serious. Six months since you left us, and now you ask about presents?"
1. Re:Potential creepyness. by sideslash · 2013-11-20 04:54 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Yeah, it was six months and fifteen days since we were in the same location at that restaurant. Would you like to see reviews on Yelp?"
  "Dad, the family has been losing our shirts financially since you disappeared."
  "Hey, that was a really cool picture you gmailed two days ago to to Susie Hopkins titled 'me without a shirt'. Do you still enjoy photography?"
2. Re:Potential creepyness. by Thanshin · 2013-11-20 04:59 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Happy Birthday, Son!"
  "Thank you dad!"
  "Any good presents?"
  "Everything was fantastic!"
  "I see you've been enjoying yourself."
  "This will be the best year ever!"
  During the birthday party, a candle fell from the cake and started a fire that killed the entire family.
  That happened sixteen centuries ago. The automated social bots have had this same conversation every year since.
3. Re:Potential creepyness. by Thanshin · 2013-11-20 05:22 · Score: 2
  
  As you started telling that story, and based on the context, I imagined the camera to moving away showing the spotless house with its perfect lawn and white picket fence, surrounded by charred devastation, on an asteroid, floating away from what seems to be the remains of Earth after a cataclysmic explosion.
4. Re:Potential creepyness. by samcan · 2013-11-20 05:24 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I believe the story was "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. The title is a line from a poem by Sarah Teasdale.
5. Re:Potential creepyness. by Jaywalk · 2013-11-20 05:27 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury. The title is from a poem by Sara Teasdale.
  
  This post generated by the Wikipedia reference bot.
  
  --
  ===== Murphy's Law is recursive. =====
Re:Sexting? by somersault · 2013-11-20 04:53 · Score: 4, Funny

Camilebot and Starbot are now in a relationship.
Camilebot
I can't believe it's been 2^16 milliseconds already! I'm in automated heaven. Love you Starbot!

--
which is totally what she said
Sign me up by Gavagai80 · 2013-11-20 05:00 · Score: 2

So I can appear polite and social to annoying random people and avoid burning bridges without having to waste any time on them. What's not to like?

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This space intentionally left blank
Re:Sexting? by CanHasDIY · 2013-11-20 05:12 · Score: 2

"Hi Jared! I heard you like g-strings, and that your favorite color is red. There's a great sale going on at Victoria's Secret!"
FTFY.
This is Slashdot, after all.

--
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Chatting with dead guys. by Jaywalk · 2013-11-20 05:12 · Score: 3, Insightful

This immediately made me think of those news stories where someone is found after having died weeks before. If you set up a system to do your chatting for you, when are your friends and neighbors going to realize they haven't seen you in a while? After all, they just got an email from you this morning responding to the one they sent a week before.

Do we really want to completely isolate ourselves from even the most trivial human contact?

--
===== Murphy's Law is recursive. =====
1. Re:Chatting with dead guys. by interkin3tic · 2013-11-20 06:17 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  You're asking "Do I want to creep my friends out after I have died?" A MILLION TIMES YES!!!
Facebook already does this by rsborg · 2013-11-20 05:18 · Score: 3, Interesting

*so and so* is waiting for you to see her timeline!
*person you barely know* recommends you add *someone else you barely know* as a friend.
etc etc.
Seems like this patent is just getting Google into the game so Facebook doesn't sue their asses off that is, unless they plan on using it to sue Facebook.

--
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
Re:Sexting? by the_skywise · 2013-11-20 05:19 · Score: 2

"Hi Jared! I see you like two women and a cup and Firefly. Have you seen the sale at Think Geek for their new Firefly mugs?"
FTFY. :)
(Actually if we're doing slashdot we have to work goatse in there somewhere...)
Re:Think for yourself. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-11-20 05:21 · Score: 3, Interesting

As with any business, you have to make the most of exploiting the useful things it does, and try your best to ignore the shit it tries to feed you, no matter how convenient it seems.
You have a profound lack of understanding of what Google does and what
Google plans to do.
The consequences of using Google for ANY of its services will be far-reaching and
quite beyond the control of the individual user to remedy.
There is only one intelligent choice for those of us who actually do grasp the
full ramifications of using Gmail, Google+, or Google search, and that is
to NOT USE ANY GOOGLE SERVICES, period.
( captcha = retain. )
As in " Google will retain everything it knows about you,
forever.
/
This is a virtual greeting card by Alphadecay27 · 2013-11-20 05:23 · Score: 4, Informative

It does not automatically converse with others, there is nothing sinister about it. Some people feel the need to send out birthday/anniversary cards when those events come up. When that happens, you can click send for casual acquaintances. If you know someone well you can use the suggested text as a reminder, clear it and type a personal message. If you don't like the concept at all, you can turn it off.
Bot vs. Bot by edibobb · 2013-11-20 05:31 · Score: 4, Funny

Whether or not this complies with Google's Don't Be Evil policy, it should not be patentable. It's a simple idea, not a novel invention. More importantly, think of all the time it will save when you can put your own conversation bot up against theirs and don't have to personally mess with that social network stuff anymore. Let the bots do the socializing!
I don't care by lymond01 · 2013-11-20 05:32 · Score: 2

But Google can make you think I do.
Re:Taking this to the logical end by Minwee · 2013-11-20 05:43 · Score: 4, Funny

And then the bot pretending to be a 10 year old girl will have the bot pretending to be a creepy old man arrested by bots pretending to be the FBI.
Fortunately, a bot pretending to be a lawyer will pretend to defend it when it pretends to go to trial before a bot pretending to be a judge and a jury of twelve bots pretending to be its peers.
When it is all finished other bots will have something to pretend to talk about while pretending to chat for years to come.
A simple one should suffice. by lagomorpha2 · 2013-11-20 05:58 · Score: 2

Program it to say "What?" and "Where's the tea?" Who'd know the difference?
Opt out is not an option by Mister+Liberty · 2013-11-20 07:55 · Score: 2

Get out while you can.
Prior art. by psithurism · 2013-11-20 08:35 · Score: 2

My Slashdot Suggest Bot recommends attaching one or more of the following to a comment that has already achieved +5 insightful:
I for one welcome our new chatbot overlords!
This is why I don't have a Facebook account!
As if we need more evidence that software patents are broken!
I am a bot you insensitive clod!
Obligatory XKCD: http://xkcd.com/948/
Obligatory XKCD: http://xkcd.com/632/
Whatever happened to "Don't be evil?!"
In soviet Russia bot chats you!