A video: “Before Siri and Alexa, there was ELIZA

ELIZA is an early natural language processing computer program created from 1964 to 1966 at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory by Joseph Weizenbaum. Created to demonstrate the superficiality of communication between man and machine, Eliza simulated conversation by using a ‘pattern matching’ and substitution methodology that gave users an illusion of understanding on the part of the program, but had no built in framework for contextualising events.

00:04 False conclusions about Eliza’s understanding

00:17 ELIZA could simulate conversation through text on a screen.

00:37 ELIZA was designed to simulate a Rogerian psychotherapist.

00:52 ELIZA program provides understanding responses

01:02 ELIZA was the precursor to modern virtual assistant technology.

01:11 ELIZA was the precursor to today’s virtual assistants.

01:23 ELIZA was limited in understanding typed words.

01:39 ELIZA instigates fear and avoidance in conversation.