Can you tell I am being sarcastic, Milo?

I thought a little more about Milo from the Project Natal.

In my previous posting I started thinking about whether it is possible to have a real, bonding relationship with the virtual chracter, Milo, who is nothing more than the graphical representation of Artificial Intelligence.

It would all depend on how detailed and developed the technology could get. The question is, would Milo get intelligent enough to recognize if I were being sarcastic or genuine in my interaction with him?

There are certain coding and de-coding mechanisms at work when humans communicate with each other. I believe the trick is to have the Artificial Intelligence differentiate between sarcasm and genuine interaction, having the sensors read into the cues that are transmitted in words and non-verbals. So far, human brain is the only intelligence that can do this (actually, not all human intelligences). But this technology is indeed promising that the virtual character can engage in a realistic interaction with an individual.

One Blog Away

It has been over a week now that Frank Gruber presented at our Com 435 class. But his words still echo in many of our minds. He must have touched some of our students, at least Erika and DJ already blogged about him.

Not only that, a Purdue student, Bram Wahl interviewed him on social media.

This is the beauty of new media technologies, even though your adventure is over, your legacy continues online, multiplying, connecting and multiplying even more. Frank is not at Purdue, we are not enjoying a Purdue waffle on a friday morning, but he is just one blog away.

Project Natal: Can Milo be a friend?

Project Natal is the source of the upcoming XBox 360 technology.

As Peter Molyneux states, this technology is a dream come true that was not even dreamed of. The virtual character (Milo) recognizes not only face, voice, actions, but also the emotions hidden in the individual's voice. He also responds to the individual with a tone of voice and gestures that reflects emotions.

This is a revolutionary technology, as it allows complete interaction between a real person and a virtual character. It further blurs the distinction between what is real and what is virtual.

Molyneux also explains that the individual feels so connected to the virtual world and the Milo character that they react to the game the same way they would in a real life situation. As the individual interacts with the objects in "Milo's world", it creates a stronger connection with Milo and immersion into a virtuality.

I grew up in a big city, with no playgrounds and no safe opportunities to explore the nature. I did not have video games either. I had a creative imagination instead that made my toys come alive, and my room turn into a magical pond with talking fish.

If I were 8 again and wanted to go fishing in the middle of Istanbul, could Milo be a friend? Would Milo be as real as my next door neighbor, or as fun as my own imagination?