What mechanism characterized ELIZA's ability to simulate conversation?
Answer
Scripted pattern matching and keyword substitution
ELIZA functioned entirely based on mechanical processes rather than genuine comprehension. Its core methodology relied on scripted pattern matching and the use of simple substitution rules. When a user input was processed, the program looked for recognized keywords and then rearranged the sentence structure according to pre-programmed scripts to formulate a response. This meant ELIZA did not actually understand the conversational content; it was purely linguistic manipulation, differentiating it starkly from modern systems that utilize machine learning to achieve contextual awareness.

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