Eliza

Eliza is a computer program and an early example of primitive artificial intelligence. The program, created by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966 at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, was designed to simulate a conversation with a psychotherapist by using a method called Rogerian psychotherapy.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Eliza works by processing users' responses to its prompts. The program does not understand the conversation but uses pattern matching and substitution methodology to respond to user input. It gives an illusion of understanding the conversation but in reality, it simply processes the responses based on a script, known as DOCTOR script.

Functionality[edit | edit source]

Eliza's design is based on the premise of Rogerian psychotherapy, a method of psychotherapy where the therapist encourages the patient to talk and then responds in a non-directive way. Eliza uses a similar approach, using pre-determined scripts to respond to specific patterns in the input from the user. The program uses a 'script' called DOCTOR, which guides its responses.

Impact[edit | edit source]

Eliza had a significant impact on the field of Artificial Intelligence and the development of chatbots. It demonstrated the potential of AI in understanding and responding to human conversation, even though it did not truly understand the conversation. Eliza also raised ethical and philosophical questions about the nature of artificial intelligence and its potential implications for human interaction.

References[edit | edit source]

Eliza Resources
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