I am stunned, truly stunned, by a phone call I have just had with a machine. Alan Turing would, I am sure, agree that this comes as close as makes no difference to passing his "Turing Test" for an intelligent machine.
I have recently ordered a new Macbook Pro from Apple. I wanted to track delivery (from China) this morning and found that Apples website was down so I could not get the tracking no. I thought I would phone Apple to see if they could give me the tracking no. I was connected immediately to a machine with a pleasant female voice. I, like most people, have had terrible experiences of communicating with machines with endless options and button presses. Well this time it was different.
The following is a transcript of the conversation. I promise you this is the truth.
Hello, please talk to me as if I was a real person and I will do my best to help you. Please tell me what I can do for you.
I have recently ordered a macbook from you and would like to track it's delivery.
OK Sir, please give me your order no.
I read it out.
Thank you, for security reasons could you also give me your post code.
I read it out.
Thank you Mr. GreenBean. You parcel left Shanghai on 28 February and was last tracked with a departure scan in Warsaw. The parcel is due for delivery by Friday 4th March. Can I help you with anything else?
I would like to know the tracking No.
Of course Sir, you carrier is UPS, I will read your tracking no. slowly twice so you can write it down and then check it is correct. She read it out twice. Can I help you with anything else Sir.
I was so shocked and stunned, and it all seemed so much like a conversation with a real person, that I found myself thanking the machine No, that is all I need, thank you very much for your excellent service.
It will not be long now before the machines take over, you heard it here first.