[TrueAndroids]

Microsoft patents 'guardian angel' idea for intelligent personal agent
Todd Bishop on Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"Microsoft executives talk a lot about the potential for computers and devices to be smart, proactive assistants -- monitoring a person's environment, gathering relevant data, anticipating the user's needs, providing helpful information and recommending particular actions. And now the company has a patent on the concept.
Bill Gates and Ray Ozzie are among the inventors listed on the patent for an "intelligent personalized agent," issued this morning by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It's not a new initiative: The company applied for the patent in September 2006, and the application made news two years ago. But the granting of the patent could put Microsoft in an interesting position if the world heads in this direction."
http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2010/03/microsoft_gets_guardian_angel_patent.html


You can see an interesting sample of what pseudo code in a patent for something like this looks like in this article about it. So simple yet so much can be done with it

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/200041.asp

[Freddy]

Interesting how Microsoft is covering yet more bases too.   

[NoLongerActive]

This actually is not a good thing. Think of it this way, your Alldroid could some day cause Microsoft to claim patent infringement and/or intellectual property infringement. They are patenting an concept so that means if you make code based on that concept, then they own your code? It just doesn't seem right. I mean, it's like patenting the concept of bread. Now anyone who makes banana-nut-raisin-chocolate bread owes Microsoft.

It'll put hobbyists in a bad position too. And then what if one comes up with a sentient AI based on MS's concept? MS "owns" a living, thinking, sentient entity?

I'm not sure I like this. But then again Microsoft kinda owns us anyway. 99% of what one would create might even be created using one of Microsoft's compilers. Unless of course they used Linux stuff.

Speaking of which, I had stumbled across the GNU/Linux AI HOWTO online and I was thinking, they have probably had this concept before MS. So I don't know how a patent office can patent something that MS did NOT invent? Unless Bill Gates invented it back when he started MS and BASIC?

This is just so confusing. I'm very wary of it all.

[Freddy]

I tend to agree, I was not keen on MS doing this either.  MS have far too many tentacles for my liking.

[Data]

I wonder how much bot technology MS have borrowed from hard working amateurs, like from some of the good people here  

[Data]

Actually it sounds a bit like the office assistant but for the whole of windows, something like this maybe. 

I see you are using your computer

Would you like me to :

   A.   annoy you all the time
   B.   annoy you some of the time
   C.   annoy you when you least expect it
   D.   annoy you at the most inconvenient time possible

Please choose one.



Hope I’m wrong.

[Freddy]

LOL 

I think mine is set on 'C'...

[Data]

Hehe, yay I think mine is set to D and I have a feeling D will be the default setting 

[Art]

I prefer my current choice..."Hide Agent".  

Actually, if the "Agent" was refined to the point of being a truly helpful
entity, say one you could converse with and have it interact and DO
things on the computer for you, it might not be too bad.

You know what's really going to happen, since the world revolves
around money, the advertisers will wrap all of their advertising around
bot technology sort of like Minority Report when TC walked into a
department store and it knew (through retina scan) that it was him.
The store's computer suddenly began suggesting various items
for him to purchase based oh past shopping history, etc.

We currently get this along the side bar on some search sites. If you
looked at vacuum cleaners two days ago, you'll likely see some ads
for...yes...vacuums today. The search engine in effect is "learning"
your shopping habits (good or bad).

Things only go downhill from here!

[TrueAndroids]

I prefer my current choice..."Hide Agent".  

Actually, if the "Agent" was refined to the point of being a truly helpful
entity, say one you could converse with and have it interact and DO
things on the computer for you, it might not be too bad.

Chatbot add ons as an interface does appear to be a possibility.

patent -
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nphParserSect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,689,524.PN.&OS=PN/7,689,524&RS=PN/7,689,524

TITLE
Dynamic environment evaluation and service adjustment based on multiple user profiles including data classification and information sharing with authorized other users

Abstract
An intelligent personalized agent [chatbot ??] monitors, regulates, and advises a user in decision-making processes for efficiency or safety concerns. The agent monitors an environment and present characteristics of a user and analyzes such information in view of stored preferences specific to one of multiple profiles of the user. Based on the analysis, the agent can suggest or automatically implement a solution to a given issue or problem. In addition, the agent can identify another potential issue that requires attention and suggests or implements action accordingly. Furthermore, the agent can communicate with other users or devices by providing and acquiring information to assist in future decisions. All aspects of environment observation, decision assistance, and external communication can be flexibly limited or allowed as desired by the user.

What is claimed is:

1. ...  a mode selector that manages multiple personifications of the user when generating the suggestion, wherein the generated suggestion varies based on which of the multiple personifications the user selects; and a broadcast device that provides information regarding the user to a plurality of other users and devices,

11. The system of claim 1, the system is configurable, scriptable, and automatable at least in part by the user.

So maybe this will become the brains behind/inside the chatbots that the user can add on and configure, etc. That would be the best scenario. Microsoft has created the Microsoft Robotics Studio which is a huge advance for robotics, but it's free for hobbyists (500 for professional). So that's pretty good. It would be cool if you could use it to quickly prototype and drop a human brain interfaced with the Internet into a chatbot of your own creation, and configure its personality however you want.


Claim 10 sounds a lot like Asimov's Laws of Robotics  

10. The system of claim 1, the decision-making component avoids action or inaction that causes harm to the user.

[one]

ME and AL KNOW "it's all about the Pentium" FWIW I have been fighting patent battles and Mil/Gov red tape for over 10 years MS has NOTHING on me except lots of money and things.... - J

[NoLongerActive]

I think mine is set on (E) I can't annoy you because you turned this feature off! 

[Data]

Hi One, good to see you back again. 



Added new options (E) (F)

(E) Turn off annoyance and no longer use this feature.

(F) Uninstall this feature for good and revert to using your PC with a mouse and keyboard. (recommended)

 

[Data]

If I might add a little to this:

Windows 7 has voice recognition built in and you can just about do what ever you can do with the mouse and keyboard with it, but its frustratingly slow and you get really fed up with the mistakes it makes and you end up feeling like you have been talking for a very long time and get a dusty throat.

I personally can’t see an assistant replace the keyboard and mouse for a long time.

[Freddy]

Yes I doubt I will ever change from mouse and keyboard... maybe touch screen though but only for some things... quite happy the way I am..

TrueAndroids said:

Claim 10 sounds a lot like Asimov's Laws of Robotics 

10. The system of claim 1, the decision-making component avoids action or inaction that causes harm to the user.

Yep sounds almost exactly like it