This is a growing list of important examples of Conversational User Interfaces from fiction and fact throughout history. CUIs (or bots) have been imagined for millennia as a natural way to deal with others and technology.
1. A Selection of CUIs* and
Lessons Through History
Nathan Shedroff
Seed Vault Ltd.
nathan@nathan.com *Conversational User Interface
2. Burning Bush, Old Testament (~-01400)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
3. The Golem (~01550)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Golem, 2016 by Joshua Abarbanel
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
4. The Monster, Frankenstein (01818)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
5. Maria, Metropolis (01927)
Lesson: Humanness is transferrable to non-human systems
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
6. Three Laws of Robotics, Runaround (01942)
Lesson: Humanness is transferrable to non-human systems
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
1.A robot may not injure a human being or,
through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm.
2.A robot must obey the orders given it by
human beings except where such orders
would conflict with the First Law.
3.A robot must protect its own existence as
long as such protection does not conflict with
the First or Second Laws.
7. Rosie, The Jetsons (01962)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
8. Eliza (01964)
Lesson: People perceive intelligence even where there isn’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
9. Gort, The Day the Earth Stood Still (01951)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
10. Robbie the Robot, Forbidden Planet (01956)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
11. B-9, Lost in Space (01965)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
12. HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey (01968)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
13. Replicants, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (01968)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
14. Huey, Dewey, Louie, Silent Running (01972)
Lesson: People empathize with technologies.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
15. Bomb, Dark Star (01974)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
16. R2D2, Star Wars: A New Hope (01977)
Lesson: Use nonlinguistic sounds expressively to trigger anthropomorphism
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
17. V’ger, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (01979)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
18. Ash, Alien (01979)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
19. K.I.T.T., Knight Rider (01982)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
20. Alien (01979)
Lesson: ???
Pris & Roy, etc. Blade Runner (01982)
Lesson: True General AI may have other priorities.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
21. WOPR, War Games (01983)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
22. Max Headroom, Max Headroom (01984)
Lesson: True General AI may have other priorities.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
23. Neuromancer & Wintermute, Neuromancer (01984)
Lesson: True General AI may have other priorities.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
24. Max, Flight of the Navigator (01986)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
25. Number 5, Short Circuit (01986)
Lesson: Humanness is transferrable to non-human systems
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
26. Apple Knowledge Navigator (01987)
Lesson: Anthropomorphized interfaces are difficult to create successfully
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
27. Microsoft BOB & “Clippy" (01987)
Lesson: Anthropomorphized interfaces are difficult to create successfully
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
28. Data, Star Trek:The Next Generation (01987)
Lesson: Beware the Uncanny Valley
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
29. Tom Servo & Crow T. Robot,
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (01988)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
30. Johnny Cab, Total Recall (01990)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
31. Apple Guides 3.0 Concept (01990)
Lesson: Characters can help portray differing points-of-view.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
32. Bounty Bear, Until the End of the World (01991)
Lesson: Consider zoomorphizing technologies (animals instead of humans) for
low-functioning systems (which is all of them)
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
33. A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer,
The Diamond Age (01995)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
34. Takahashi’s Puppet, Johnny Mnemonic (01995)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
35. The Doctor, Star Trek: Voyager (01995)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
36. Dreadnaught, Star Trek: Voyager (01996)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
37. Ask Jeeves (01996)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
38. Alice, Star Trek: Voyager (01999)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
39. Agent Smith, The Matrix (01999)
Lesson: The more realistic the depiction, the higher expectations we have of the system.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
40. The Oracle, The Matrix (01999)
Lesson: The more realistic the depiction, the higher expectations we have of the system.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
41. Bender, Futurama (01999)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
42. Sony Asimo (02000)
Lesson: We make the futures science fiction convinces us we should
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
43. Cortana, Halo (02000)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
44. Shiela, A.I. (02001)
Lesson: The more realistic the depiction, the higher expectations we have of the system.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
45. Vox, The Time Machine (02002)
Lesson: Humanness is transferrable to non-human systems
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
46. Number Six, Battlestar Gallactica (02004)
Lesson: The more realistic the depiction, the higher expectations we have of the system.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
47. Aeais, River of Gods (02004)
Lesson: True General AI may have other priorities.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
48. Marvin, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (02005)
Lesson: Humanness is transferrable to non-human systems
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
49. Babblefish, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (02005)
Lesson: Conversations are the original interface.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
50. Microsoft Ms. Dewey (02006)
Lesson: Anthropomorphized interfaces are difficult to create successfully
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
51. Jarvis, Iron Man (02008)
Lesson: Conversation excels when actions are critical
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
52. Dum-E, Iron Man (02008)
Lesson: Achieve anthropomorphism through behavior
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
53. ARIA, Eagle Eye (02008)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
54. WALL-E & EVE, WALL-E (02008)
Lesson: Humanness is transferrable to non-human systems
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
55. GERTY, Moon (02009)
Lesson: Use an agent’s social pressure for a social agenda
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
56. Aetna Ask Ann (02010)
Lesson: Anthropomorphized interfaces are difficult to create successfully
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
57. Apple Siri (02011)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
58. David, Prometheus (02012)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
59. Samantha, Her (02013)
Lesson: True General AI may have other priorities.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
60. CASE & TARS, Interstellar (02014)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
61. Amazon Alexa (02014)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
62. Microsoft Cortana (02014)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
63. AVA, Ex Machina (02014)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
65. Chappie, Chappie (02015)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
66. Vision, Avengers: Age of Ultron (02015)
Lesson: People perceive intent and human qualities even where there aren’t any.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
67. Microsoft Tay (02016)
Lesson: AI training reflects cultural biases.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
68. Robo-Genomics, doc.ai (02017)
Lesson: The more realistic the depiction, the higher expectations we have of the system.
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
69. Microsoft Skype Andi (02017)
Lesson: Conversation casts the system in the role of a character
Nathan Shedroff, Seed Vault Ltd., nathan@nathan.com
