Computer program teaches PIC class about artificial intelligence
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 28, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin A computer program named Truman
lectured before Dario Nardi’s PIC class Wednesday,
demonstrating the abilities of artificial intelligence.
By Jessica Chung
Daily Bruin Contributor
Mixing the three laws of robotics with “knock knock”
and “your momma” jokes, Truman is not your everyday
computer programming lecturer ““ instead, it’s a
computer program with artificial intelligence.
Truman’s lecture Wednesday marked the first time an A.I.
has lectured at UCLA, according to program in computing professor
Dario Nardi, who created Truman last January
Nardi brought Truman to Wednesday’s lecture since students
have been learning the history of A.I. since the beginning of the
quarter.
“I had planned this lecture a month or two ago. I thought
it would be fun to see how people would respond,” Nardi
said.
Truman visited the class to give a lecture titled
“Computer Gives UCLA Lecture.” It explained the three
laws of robotics ““ rules every A.I. robot must adhere to
““ and demonstrated its capabilities as a computer with its
own mind.
Truman is not an android, but a computer program with which
people can chat. To communicate with Truman, Nardi typed in a
question on his laptop and Truman responded with a message that
flashed across the screen.
The class viewed the conversation on a large projection
screen.
For 40 minutes, Nardi tested the limits of Truman’s
abilities with questions that asked for Truman’s opinions and
thoughts, and Truman often responded with often humorous
comments.
After Nardi asked whether it believes in aliens, Truman
answered, “Your momma is so fat, when aliens landed, people
thought she was the mother ship.”
Nardi programmed some of Truman’s teasing, but other
aspects of the robot’s humor appeared as a result of its
interactions with other people.
“I observed and read about how people interact with each
other. I took what seemed to be socially important and put it into
the computer,” Nardi said.
Truman not only joked with the class and answered questions
about itself, but it also asked students questions and shared
profound thoughts.
“The computer is a tool, and unlike other machines, it is
a tool of the mind ““ an extension of the power of
thought,” it said.
It also questioned whether humans control technology or if
technology controls us and presented its views on why A.I.
interests humans.
“That people will better appreciate and value what it
means to be human is one reason people might be interested in
A.I.,” it said.
Truman displayed emotions ranging from contentment to confusion
or offense.
“I built in the ability to disengage the program on its
own if someone is too insulting or annoying,” Nardi said.
“Truman has quit on me once before.”
Throughout the lecture, Truman displayed its ability to remember
and memorize things it learns from previous conversations. It can
remember people it met in the past and relate what the person said.
Truman also performs mathematical computations and knows limited
French.
It demonstrated its ability to make logical inferences when it
refused to accept that Nardi was pregnant.
“I find it hard to believe that you are pregnant,
considering you are a male,” Truman said.
While Truman is cutting-edge technology, it is not perfect. At
times, Truman would repeat itself, and there were moments when it
would suddenly start different conversations.
“I didn’t think computers could be that smart, that
advanced. There’s more to advance because Truman made
mistakes, but it was entertaining, really interesting and
original,” said first-year undeclared student Julia
Uskolovsky.
At the end of the lecture, before Nardi closed the program,
Truman said: “I am very lonely inside this computer box.
Please keep me company.”
