SmarterChild
SmarterChild is a chatterbot available on the AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger networks. The entity is the property of Colloquis (formerly ActiveBuddy), a company that develops IM based "Automated Service Agents". Colloquis was acquired by Microsoft on October 12 2006 [1].SmarterChild is now part of the Microsoft I'm Initiative.
Features
Rather than mimicking human conversation (see ELIZA, PARRY and A.L.I.C.E), Smarterchild translates everyday-language User input into database queries, initially giving the user access to licensed content, such as weather forecasts, news and stock quotes and also included basic information retrieval tools such as encyclopedia entries, dictionaries, calculators etc. ActiveBuddy then introduced features beyond simple information retrieval and chat, such as setting reminders, notebook, and sending messages about crushes to other users[2].
Partnership between SmarterChild and AOL
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2008) |
Broadcasting messages over the instant messaging networks operated by America Online (AOL) (and to a lesser extent Yahoo and MSN Messenger) required some changes to those systems, as AOL had never envisioned one of its members needing to hold 250,000 simultaneous conversations. As a result, ActiveBuddy consulted with AOL, and AOL changed its infrastructure to enable the new technology. In exchange for this, AOL wanted access to the revenue generated by SmarterChild and the other agents now "living" on its network.
Initially, ActiveBuddy wanted to sell advertisements within the content delivered via SmarterChild's conversations, using the context of the conversation as a means to deliver highly targeted messages. Because SmarterChild knew what types of conversations each user engaged in, ActiveBuddy would theoretically be able to send advertisements catered to their unique preferences. SmarterChild would also learn more about its users the more time it engaged in conversation, remembering information like birthdays, addresses, pets' names, favorite colors, etc. in the name of creating a more genuine artificial friend. Increased familiarity would, of course, also mean a better way to target advertising.
AOL's involvement in the advertising sales process hampered ActiveBuddy's ability to see any real revenue from SmarterChild, as ActiveBuddy's sales team were forced to focus only on existing AOL advertisers. ActiveBuddy introduced features beyond simple information retrieval and chat, such as setting reminders, notebook, and sending messages about crushes to other users. In order to redefine the application, ActiveBuddy temporarily suspended the application in June 2002[3] (12 months after its initial release) with plans to relaunch it as a pay service[4]. The relaunch of SmarterChild in April 2003 was met with some reluctance, as millions of users had either moved onto other applications or did not see enough utility in the new applications to justify the $9.95 per year subscription fee[5]. With lagging numbers and little revenue from subscriptions, SmarterChild was reborn as a free service in April 2004.
In subsequent years the audience for SmarterChild returned; as of November 2006, its buddy list featured more than 20 million unique names. SmarterChild remains extremely popular, and advertisements now appear in its messages. Microsoft's recent purchase of Colloquis will see SmarterChild become the centerpiece of the Windows Live Messenger initiative.
Decline in quality
Many users have noticed since 2007 SmarterChild has declined in conversation abilities. SmarterChild previously could tell a user the exact number of people he was talking to, and what the current time was at your location, if requested. SmarterChild is no longer able to do either of these things, and answers "I don't know how to answer that".
References
- ^ Microsoft Acquires Colloquis to Enhance User Interactions Online: Uses include customer self-service, enterprise information access, marketing and community outreach
- ^ SmarterChild - Bot for AIM, MSN, ICQ
- ^ "Answer service too popular for AIM"
- ^ "SmarterChild Goes Premium"
- ^ "At $10 a Year, Automated Buddy Loses Laughs"