X-Message-Number: 14703
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
Subject: 'Virtual Anya' 
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 11:31:16 +0100

From the web site:

>>>>>>>
Can a human being be recreated using electronics? Tomorrow's World reporter
Anya Sitaram attempts to find out, by putting herself through the process of
being digitally captured and mapped onto a computer. She then answers
hundreds of questions set by a computer programmer, in an attempt to give
her 'electronic clone' a personality. {after she answered these, the
computer then generated a second set of questions "to determine her
personality" -JdeR}

Once the 'Virtual Anya' has been created, the real Anya puts it to the test
by asking it some questions. The first set of answers given by the avatar,
or virtual person, are generated from the answers Anya gave previously, and
they're all correct. Anya then asks questions which the avatar must generate
itself, using its own software and the database of knowledge it has been
given about Anya's likes and dislikes.
<<<<<<

As I understood it, there was some sort of network produced by a digital (ie
not hard wired neural net)  computer program with weightings based on the
facts from the first group of inputs and the result of the computer
generated personality test from the second. The production of an image was
an irrelevant
side issue really, what is more interesting is the bit I just mentioned.

No way am I suggesting that this technique could be used for survival of the
individual. But I expect that such programs will be sold as toys or
amusements in the near future and they could be used for experiments on
identity and so on as long as one realises the limitations. That is to say
even if these avatars can fool anyone into thinking they are a real person
corresponding by email they still may not be anything like the real thing in
the way they function.

--
Sincerely, John de Rivaz
my homepage links to Longevity Report, Fractal Report, music, Inventors'
report, an autobio and various other projects:
http://www.geocities.com/longevityrpt
http://www.autopsychoice.com - should you be able to chose autopsy?

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14703