An OS You'll Love? AI Experts Weigh In On Her

theodp writes "Weighing in for the WSJ on Spike Jonze's Oscar-nominated, futuristic love story Her (parodies), Stephen Wolfram — whose Wolfram Alpha drives the AI-like component of Siri — thinks that an operating system like Samantha as depicted in the film isn't that far off. In Her, OS Samantha and BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com employee Theodore Twombly have a relationship that appears to exhibit all the elements of a typical romance, despite the OS's lack of a physical body. They talk late into the night, relax on the beach, and even double date with friends. Both Wolfram and Google director of research Peter Norvig (who hadn't yet seen the film) believe this type of emotional attachment isn't a big hurdle to clear. 'People are only too keen, I think, to anthropomorphize things around them,' explained Wolfram. 'Whether they're stuffed animals, Tamagotchi, things in videogames, whatever else.' By the way, why no supporting actor nomination for Jonze's portrayal of foul-mouthed animated video game character Alien Child?"

Comments

Outsourcing

[StripedCow]

an operating system like Samantha as depicted in the film isn't that far off

First they outsource our jobs. Then they outsource our women too?

Re:Outsourcing

[CohibaVancouver]

Its the men who are being outsourced. Women can reproduce via sperm donor and if a computer can offer better companionship and more patience then ... well you can see where things are going.

False.

Women will still need men around to open jars and put spiders outside.

Forget "Her", people here would relate to "Him"

[OzPeter]

SNL showed how it really is: Him

OS upgrade time...

[sinij]

Soon when you upgrade OS, your old one keeps the house and half of your assets.

Re:CLAMP!

[Runaway1956]

Yes, you should be absolutely loyal to your owner/master cat. Remember, that feline has at least 9 lives, and you only have one. Piss the cat off, and she may come back as a saber toothed tiger in her next life. The wife's cat warned me of that possibility. No, I'm not anthropomorphizing the cat. There was nothing human about the threat. She claims to have kept a couple of pharaohs as pets, and I'm not arguing with her!