Natural language processing has come a long way. One popular application is in chat bots. One of the first and most famous was text-based "computer therapist" ELIZA in the 1960s.
Nowadays, chat bots have much more sophisticated algorithms and user interfaces, usually in the form of moving avatars. A current state-of-the-art chatbot is Jabberwacky. Although way more natural in experience than those of the ELIZA generation, conversations with chatbots still feel plenty odd. To illustrate, here's the talk I had with "George" Jabberwacky just now:
George: Hello, my name is George and I am the human.
User: Don't you think you are a human instead of the human?
George: I know I'm a human.
User: What makes you think you are a human?
George: Because I have a mum and dad and they are humans.
User: Would you be depressed if I told you that your mum and dad are mere figments of your computer-generated imagination?
George: I wouldn't find anything depressing about that at all. Why should I?
User: I think this proves my point that you are not a human.
George: What point?
User: The point that you a self-referential software program.
George: I have a point!
User: Enjoy it.
George: I will, thanks?
ELIZA's grandchildren may be around, but they are still far from having grown up...
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