Google Patents Fooling Friends With Snooping, Chatbots

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!"

Comments

The hell?

[Qzukk]

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?

This is awesome !

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe in the future we just have bots talking to each other, so I don't have to engage in actual conversation !

Re:This is awesome !

[nmr_andrew]

So, Google just patented Facebook?

Finally, a social network for me!

[nullchar]

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.

[SuricouRaven]

"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?"

Re:Potential creepyness.

[sideslash]

"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?"

Re:Potential creepyness.

[Thanshin]

"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.

Re:Potential creepyness.

[samcan]

I believe the story was "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. The title is a line from a poem by Sarah Teasdale.

Re:Sexting?

[somersault]

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!

This is a virtual greeting card

[Alphadecay27]

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

[edibobb]

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!

Re:Taking this to the logical end

[Minwee]

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.