PARK@SRI-AI.ARPA (Bill Park) (01/23/86)
This stuff about Sejnowski's speaking reminds me eerily of the parts
of Asimov's @i{I, Robot}, that tells how Susan Calvin's career began:
From "Robbie," where Susan is observing a little girl named Gloria
trying to get some help during a tour of the Museum of Science and
Industry ...
"The Talking Robot was a @i{tour de force}, a thoroughly
impractical device, possessing publicity value only. Once an
hour, an escorted group stood before it and asked questions
of the robot engineer in charge in careful whispers. Those
the engineer decided were suitable for the robot's circuits
were transmitted to the Talking Robot.
"It was rather dull. It may be nice to know that the square
of fourteen is one hundred ninety-six, that the temperature
at the moment is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and the air-pressure
30.02 inches of mercury, that the atomic weight of sodium is
23, but one doesn't really need a robot for that. One
especially does not need an unwieldy, totaly immobile mass of
wires and coils spreading over twnty-five square yards." ...
... ``There was an oily whir of gears and a mechanically
timbred voice boomed out in words that lacked accent and
intonation, `I -- am -- the -- robot -- that -- talks.'
``Gloria stared at it ruefully. It did talk, but the
sound came from inside somewheres. There was no @i{face} to
talk to. She said, `Can you help me, Mr. Robot, sir?'
``The Talking Robot was designed to answer questions, and
only such questions as it could answer had ever been put to
it. It was quite confident of its ability, therefore. `I
-- can -- help -- you.'
``'Thank you, Mr. Robot, sir. Have you seen Robbie?'
``'Who -- is -- Robbie?'
```He's a robot, Mr. Robot, sir.'' She stretched to
tip-toes. ``He's about so high, Mr. Robot, sir, only higher,
and he's very nice. He's got a head, you know. I mean you
haven't, but he has, Mr. Robot sir.'
``The Talking Robot had been left behind, `A -- robot?'
```Yes, Mr. Robot, sir. A robot just like you, except he
can't talk, of course, and -- looks like a real person.'
```A -- robot -- like -- me?'
```Yes, Mr. Robot, sir.'
```To which the Talking Robot's only response was an erratic
splutter and an occasional incoherent sound. The radical
generalization offered it, i.e., its existence, not as a
particular object, but as a member of a general group, was
too much for it. Loyally, it tried to encompass the concept
and half a dozen coils burnt out. Little warning signals
were buzzing.'
``(The girl in her mid -teens left at that point. She had
enough for her Physics-1 paper on `Practical Aspects of
Robotics.' This paper was Susan Calvin's first of many on
the subject.)''
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