Further comments on Eliza

Frank E. Ritter

21 march 00

* Eliza was written initially to be intelligent using rules and to model a Rogerian psychologist

* The effect was disheartening to its inventor (Pygmalian?)

* Eliza (or classical Eliza) works with rules that did pattern matching and substitution, like a very simple expert system

e.g.

(Hello Hello to you)

(Hello Eliza Hello Human)

(I like to X I like to X too)

(I X my <Y=mother sister father brother>
Why do you X your Y?)

(X hit Y why did trans(x) hit trans(y)?)

where trans(I) => you, you => I, name => him/her, etc.

([if] pattern [then] action)

* Rules were matched in order, so most specific went first (unlike above)

* No state was kept (e.g. mentioned mother before), or not much anyhow

* No real understanding was required to fool people.

* The source code for Eliza is available in Emacs where M-x doctor will still bring her back.