Will Microsoft Bring You From The Dead…As A Chatbot?

Microsoft has filed a patent that may allow the company to reincarnate people as chatbots. Instead of using training material to develop chatbots, the recent findings by Protocol raises the possibility that we might see chatbots from a specific person in the future.

According to the news report, the system would collect data from images, voice data, social media posts, electronic messages, and written letters to build a person’s profile. A special index will also be used to train the chatbot according to the personality of the specific person.

Who will be chosen?

Microsoft’s patent is not fussy about who they will choose as their chatbot and state the subject could be both – alive or dead. It can even be a fictional character – says Microsoft.

The possibility of the patent also raises some questions about the privacy implications that are not discussed openly by the manufacturer. For example, will people be given an option to opt-out of this system or will they automatically be selected to be part of this patent without consent?

Moreover, will people be able to prevent the makers from turning their deceased family members into chatbots?

As of yet, answers to such questions are still uncertain until Microsoft releases an official prototype. Let’s see when that happens. Until then, stay connected with Digital Information World for the latest news and updates on your favorite tech companies.


Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty
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