What key reaction regarding ELIZA convinced Weizenbaum he should critique AI?
Answer
The depth of emotional connection users formed with the program
Despite ELIZA's simple, reflective scripting, Weizenbaum and his colleagues observed that many users developed significant emotional connections, confiding intimate details under the belief that the program possessed genuine insight. This willingness of participants to suspend disbelief and anthropomorphize the machine, even when its intelligence was minimal, deeply concerned Weizenbaum. This observation directly led him to become an outspoken critic of artificial intelligence, fearing how readily people accepted technological pretense.
Related Questions
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