Advanced Chatbot Could Help With Social Awkwardness 84
mikejuk writes "Researchers at MIT Media Lab are working on an automated personal-computer-based system designed to help people improve interpersonal and conversational skills. The software is called MACH, short for My Automated Conversation coacH (pdf). It makes use of a computer-generated onscreen face to simulate interactive conversations. It performs facial, speech, and behavior analysis and synthesis to emulate human-to-human responses. At the end of the session it provides the user with feedback on their performance. Using a webcam the program can analyze facial expressions, including smiling and head gestures while its voice recognition system analyzes not only what you say but also how you say it and notes non-verbal vocalizations. As feedback you watch the video side-by-side with the analysis of your behavior — see the video of it in action. It has already been shown to improve job interview techniques and other potential uses are coaching in public speaking and dating."
Re:Somehow this reminds me... (Score:5, Informative)
Some outsourced call center is training every one of their employees to sound exactly the same, to the point that I've called from multiple time zones, at all hours of the day, and from different numbers/accounts and am still not entirely sure if they have more than a single sleepless extraterrestrial behind the phone.
Close, but they aren't intentionally training them to speak that way.
Let me introduce you to IELTS [wikipedia.org], the International English Language Testing System.
American companies like Comcast and the company I work for have call centers in other countries. Because of the language barrier, language testing is a big part of the hiring process. For my company, employees are also retested yearly and approximately 30% of their pay rate is a "language bonus" which they lose if they don't pass that test. This is not uncommon.
Training in written and spoken English is up to the employee. The company may provide some reimbursement for the expense, but they generally won't provide the courses.
English courses come in two types; one where you actually learn English and the other where you learn to pass the test. The latter is cheaper, so lots of people will go for it. Those are the people with the bizarre, unplaceable and someone feminine accent and equally WTF speech patterns.
Re:Get off the internet and talk to girls (Score:2, Informative)
Piece of advice from someone who has "studied pickup" (yes, I confess to reading numerous pirated ebooks and watching in-field hidden camera videos) and consequently actually getting success with girls: If you really are so shy that you can't say anything to girls, you should start practicing by talking to girls that are obliged to respond positively. That is, go to (clothing) stores and talk to shop assistants - ask for advice because you need to buy a gift for your mother or your sister. Don't have the objective to pick her up (even though it's quite doable when you've gained experience), instead just try to get relaxed when talking to a girl. In general becoming more talkative around strangers makes it easier to talk to hot chicks so if you're not doing it, start greeting your neighbors etc. etc. Being a social person makes you attractive, if you're with a girl and a casual acquaintance just says "hi!" to you, it increases your value in her eyes.