The Sentient Office Is Coming

Roland Piquepaille writes "In this article, the Economist explains that "sentient computing systems are likely to be everywhere within five years -- listening and watching, and ready to anticipate their users' every need." "By adding sensors to today's computing and communications technology, sentient computing seeks to take account of a machine's environment in order to make it more responsive and useful. Sentient computing systems are always on, ubiquitously available, and can adapt to their users. In short, they seek to become real help-mates." ACM TechNews also wrote an analysis of sentient computing: "Challenges to sentient computing include the seamless integration of wireless networks, the spread of sensors throughout products and the environment, the accurate provision of location data, and the ability of sentient systems to merge vast volumes of widely disseminated data and customize its delivery for users. Other problems researchers will have to tackle include scalability, the development of cooperative file systems, and sentient applications' ability to find screens and network devices in close proximity to users." And of course, there are privacy concerns... Check this summary for additional details."

For those who don't know...

[rob-fu]

sentient ( P ) Pronunciation Key (snshnt, -sh-nt)
adj.
Having sense perception; conscious: "The living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage" (T.E. Lawrence).
Experiencing sensation or feeling.

Yes, I had to look it up.

Proximity Sensoring Stuff...

[Justen]

On the most basic level, some of these ideas exist in tangible forms today.

Salling Software's Clicker [mac.com] is a pretty cool piece of software that does some nifty remote control things with Bluetooth-enabled Sony Ericsson phones. But the really nifty stuff are its "proximity sensor" features. When it senses the phone leaves the computer's general area, it pauses iTunes; when you return, it resumes playing. It can also be AppleScript-enabled, letting you do any number of other proximity-to-computer related tasks.

Just a thought. (No, I don't work for Salling Software.)

Something like Minority Report's smart advertising based on a retina scan comes to mind. Basing this off of wireless phones, it seems very much like this idea might be widespread within a few years.

Interesting technology. That's all.

justen

Am I missing something?

[Splurk]

Isn't someone forgetting that tiny stumbling block to making computers sentient? Namely, that nobody knows how sentience works or how to even begin implementing it in software or hardware?

sentient [reference.com]...Note that none of the definitions have anything remotely to do with being able to "anticipate a user's every need."

Somebody seriously needs to rethink the terminology here.

Re:Don't we get this prediction every five years?

[afidel]

In game graphics might not but the clusters at film houses now do photorealistic effects in basically real time (batching not withstanding). While I don't disagree with your setiment that this is simply pundits being overly optimistic and upbeat I do think they might have some kernal of truth, of course the devices will be much less automated and much less usefull then these guys are fortelling, but maybe we will have some kinds of smart agents to help us in 15 years.

Re:Don't we get this prediction every five years?

[CBravo]

Yes, but from a big semiconductor company? Not that I think he is right though...

Suppose that computers could act as people. That would be fairly advanced, right? And adaptive, right? Then you should ask yourself the question if you want a servant around 24/7. Not only that, even servants get stuff wrong. Besides that, we are nowhere near building such a thing...

Been around Europe lately?

[TDScott]

The first mobile videophones [three.co.uk] are already on sale and in use. We're not quite there with the flying cars yet, though.

Re:Oh yeah, this is gonna work.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's easy to get past Claire! Just say calmly and cooly, "Representative." If that doesn't work, mashing 0 for 5 minutes always seems to work. Look how far technology has gotten us.