[Freddy]

This story came up over on chatbots.org and I thought folks here would find it interesting. There's some recordings of some actual exchanges too.

This is how it starts, people. First we get our chatbots to sound and act realistic — and then we get them to convince everyone they're actually human. Listen to this crazy conversation between Time's Michael Scherer and a telemarketing robot who refuses to admit her true artificial nature.

Read more...

[Art]

Yes, much like the other post, this is a bit of the scary side of our existence. When we can't tell the CGI from the real actors and the TTS voices from the real humans, then we'll opening a whole new chapter in our lives... Just wait and see (or not).

[squarebear]

This is no robot. The speech recognition is too good. It's more likely to be a guy in India with a soundboard.

[Art]

I don't know for sure as there was always a several second delay after the guy asked the girl to say she wasn't a robot.
Maybe the SR was doing a bit of brief pattern matching before responding. I read through the article again and found the soundboard reference I'd missed the first time through. Still interesting and will become even better (say-more annoying) if they can connect it to a scripted chat bot!!

[Freddy]

I feel sorry for the Indian guy if that's what is happening. Imagine how bad it must feel to spend all day clicking on sound bites that are not even in your own voice yet alone own language. That's got to be depressing, thinking that you are not good enough to do the job in your own manner.

[squarebear]

What's happening is there is a stigms in the UK (and I am sure in other countries too) about Indian cold calling or telemarketing people. What better way to get round it than get the same people to click on sound clips? I assume the delay was due to him trying to find a suitable clip as they are heaviliy scripted and not designed to venture into free conversation.

[Freddy]

Yes people often complain that the jobs should stay in the country where the company is based. I can understand that. Sometimes I get a person with a really strong accent and I can't understand them, which is embarrassing, but there are some strong accents in this country that take some getting used to as well 

Nothing they do is going to make cold calling any less annoying. I just hang up these days as soon as I hear 'Good afternoon, I'm calling you today....'

[Art]

We're not calling (at dinner time) to sell you anything (right!) but rather to conduct a brief (hardly) survey. It will only take a few moments (count the minutes as they roll by) of your time.

Me: Excuse me. How'd you get this number? This is a private residence and this is a non-published and non-listed number! Please take this number off your list! Thank you! <CLICK>

Basically, I never give them a chance to speak! Caller ID often helps but sometimes the numbers can appear confusing. Is that my pharmacy or my Dr. office or did they get a new number? NOPE...says cold callers / survey takers / charity calls.

Would you like to contribute to the blah...blah...society?

ME: No! Would you like to contribute to my retirement fund? <Silence on other end> then <CLICK>

It's all good, you just have to remember that they called YOU! It's YOUR phone and YOU are in control! All you have to do is <CLICK>
(I do try to be polite when asking them to remove my number just before I hang up. Life's too short to be hateful all the time!!