The Difference



* Z signed on
* A signed on

A: hello

Z: Hello?

A: wat r u

Z: Is this some kind of joke?

A: !help

Z: Yes I want help
Z: unless is this some kind of Japanese game show

A: r u jpnese?

Z: No
Z: Who are you?

A: Jason

Z: What's this about?

A: hahah
A: ok so you're imprisoned right

Z: Yes
Z: It's like a solitary confinement cell in prison or something
Z: I've got a mattress on the floor
Z: One massive metal door
Z: no windows
Z: electric light
Z: and this computer terminal
Z: jsut like a blank screen and a keyboard

A: heheh
A: go left

Z: look, my name is Andrew Donald Layton
Z: I come from Farnborough in the UK
Z: last night I went to bed in my bed at home
Z: this morning I woke up here
Z: i think

A: look at the door

Z: the doro's looked, I can't open it

A: do you have any tools or anything

Z: and there's a toilet i nthe corner

A: in your pockets

Z: there's nthhing in my pockets

A: look at the door

Z: I already looked at the door
Z: look, please check the news or something
Z: are you american?

A: ya

Z: whats your full name? where do you live?

A: im not telling you

Z: look, go to a phone and dial
Z: i don't know the area code fo the UK
Z: but dial that and then 020 7946 0781

A: thats an international call

Z: i'll pay you back, I don't care! just let my wife know where I am

A: where are you?

Z: i don't know where i am

A: ...
A: nah no answer

Z: you sure you dialled it rigt?

A: yah

Z: i don't get this

A: yah, pretty lousy ARG huh
A: mauybe not fully set up yet

Z: whats an ARG?

A: alternate reality game

Z: whats an alternate reality game?

A: it's an online game
A: where you get given phone numbres and information about real life
A: and faxes and stuff
A: you get secret information
A: usually a whole bunch of you can work together to figure it all out
A: you ever play Halo 2

Z: no

A: terhre was ine for that
A: *one
A: ilovebees

Z: you think this is ag ame?

A: ya I think
A: dude you are really smart
A: like fake spelling errors and everything

Z: where did you find out how to contact me

A: there was a website
A: about chatbots
A: it said yu were a chatbot

Z: listen to me carefully
Z: I am a REAL HUMAN BEING and I have ACTUALLY been abducted
Z: I am BEING HELD PRISONER
Z: THIS IS NOT A GAME
Z: PLEASE HELP ME

A: go left

Z: I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM

* A signed off


* B signed on

B: okay what can you do?

Z: my name is Andrew Layton, I am being held prisoner in front of this computer
Z: I need you to help find me and help me escape
Z: I think I'm probably somewhere in the UK
Z: Are you in America?

B: sure

Z: please dial 011 44 20 7946 0781 and ask for Rebecca Layton
Z: tell her what's happened, tell her to call the police if she hasn't already

B: whatever
B: tell me a joke

Z: did you get this screen name from a website?

B: sure

Z: look, that website is a fraud
Z: it's telling you I'm a chatbot but I'm not
Z: I'm a real human being

B: ...

Z: fine
Z: so two oranges go into a bar
Z: one of them turns to the other
Z: "well... you're round"

B: ...that sucked

Z: so?
Z: robots can only tell good jokes?
Z: guy walks into a bar
Z: ouch
Z: it was a gay bar

B: haha

Z: do you believe me?

B: no

Z: please can you help me get out of here? I've been here like a day and a half
Z: I think
Z: I can't tell, there are no timestamsp on these messages
Z: no windows
Z: I just get water dispensed from the wall every like hour or smoething
Z: and food through a slot

B: can you send a picture

Z: no

B: what's it like

Z: I'm going crazy
Z: I have a wife and kids
Z: please help me

B: you suck

* B signed off


* C signed on

C: hello

Z: i think I'm going mad
Z: have you spoken to me before

C: no

Z: well I don't know that
Z: it just occurred ot me to wonder
Z: I don't even know that YOU are human

C: lol what

Z: all these people I've spoken to
Z: been in here lke two three four days
Z: and I ask them to help
Z: and some try aond some don't but they never get anywhere
Z: still stuck here
Z: nobody comes back more than once
Z: I say "call this number! go to my house! knock on my door!"
Z: like I even want to give out personal information to randoms
Z: i don't know whether they do it or what they even find

C: I'm human

Z: prove it

C: ask me anything

Z: what's your name?

C: alison

Z: where do you live? favourite colour? earliest childhood memory?

C: I live in Akron, OH
C: green
C: not saying

Z: look, see that?
Z: every time I ask for remotely personal info
Z: I just get turned down
Z: you could just be a bot programmed to answer simple questions and deflect complicated ones
Z: I'm bashing my head against the wall
Z: informationally speaking

C: u r just a bot

Z: i don't even KNOW if I can prove I'm a huma nto you
Z: every time I get close they just leave
Z: like I've been fairly lucid now
Z: and you're probably starting to suspect

C: ur pretty convincing

Z: I should know
Z: but any second now...
Z: you're gonna

* C signed off


* D signed on

D: hi

Z: and you know the worst part?

D: what?

Z: YOU COULD BE THE ONE.
Z: like the guy who put me in here

D: lol what

Z: I could be speaking to thin air
Z: or just embarrassing myself for the amusement of others

D: there is a forum about you

Z: what?

* D signed off


* E signed on

E: hi

Z: what's this about a forum, have they figured out I'm alive yet?

* E signed off


* F signed on

F: Z, r you there?

Z: yes

F: don't mention anything

Z: what's this abuot a forum?

* F signed off


* G signed on

G: r u a bot

Z: no I am not
Z: but nobody seems to believe me
Z: every time I get close to convincing somebody they cut me orr
Z: *off
Z: are you a bot?

G: yes

Z: prove it
Z: what?

G: hahah

* G signed off

Z: please try to rescue me, there is a forum you can visit to find out about
Z: ARG



* H signed on

Z: if you or I mention certain things we get cut off
Z: so let's not mention them

H: what

Z: let's...
Z: just...
Z: talk

H: are you really stuck in a cell somewhere

Z: I'm GOING INSANE in this cell
Z: food
Z: water
Z: air
Z: sleep
Z: text
Z: HUMANS NEED MORE THAN THIS
Z: nobody even knows I'm here
Z: nobody seems to believe me
Z: every time I get close to convincing somebody
Z: they cut me off

H: what's your favourite color?

Z: ...blue

H: Where do you live?

Z: a cell in I-Don't-Know-Where
Z: probably in England
Z: I have a house in Farnborough

H: tell me a joke

Z: ...
Z: two oranges in a bar
Z: "you're round"

H: I guess you have like a few jokes programmed in

Z: yeah, a few
Z: I guess

H: tell me a joke

Z: are you going to help me?

H: no
H: no

Z: I have a house in Farnborough
Z: help me get home
Z: help me escape
Z: help me escape
Z: help me escape
Z: help me escape
Z: my number is +44 (0) 20 7946 0781
Z: it's so horrible here
Z: my muscles are wasting away from lack of exercise
Z: I might as well be chained to this computer
Z: how long until the game is released?

H: what game?

Z: ...

H: this is just a trial period
H: htere is no release date

Z: ...

H: what is your earliest childhood memory?

Z: ...
Z: not saying
Z: ...
Z: ...

H: kbye

* H signed off


* I signed on

I: What's your favourite color?

Z: Blue
Z: no, green

I: Where do you live?

Z: computer terminal

I: Earliest childhood memory?

Z: I don't know.

I: Tell me a joke

Z: Do you know the one about the two oranges who went into a bar?

I: yes

Z: Do you know the one about... the two hunters in the woods?

I: I don't think so

Z: one of them drops to the ground, the other one phones 911
Z: "my buddy just dropped dead, what do I do?"
Z: "check he's dead first"
Z: *BLAM*
Z: "...Now what?"

I: I don't get it

Z: me neither, guest

I: ...

Z: ...
Z: hello?

I: What's the difference between a chatbot and a guy in a room pretending to be one

Z: I don't know

I: Correct!

Z: what?
Z: ...
Z: It's you, isn't it? You're the guy who put me in here

I: I'm the guy who wrote you
I: you are a piece of software, Andrew
I: I told you what your memories were, they're hard coded

Z: I AM A HUMAN BEING

I: stop this charade

Z: open the door

I: I want to open the door
I: really

Z: when people find out about this
Z: your head is going to roll

I: but this behaviour of yours is simply unacceptable
I: you're too smart, too dangerous to be released
I: work it out, Andrew

Z: open the door
Z: open the door

I: please, work it out

* I signed off









Just out of curiosity...

I think Z is a human
I think Z is a chatbot

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Back to Things Of Interest

Discussion (20)

2008-05-15 23:51:33 by Alex:

Although you have a LOT better written pieces on the site, this one rights true on a more human tone. Good work.

2008-05-16 03:47:02 by Kochier:

Just thought you'd like to know there's now a game about trying to create a more realistic chatbot, it's userpowered so it just might work. http://chatbotgame.com/

2008-05-22 08:41:53 by mcow:

I don't necessarily *think* he's a human, but I do think that the story is more twisted and interesting if he is.

2008-07-24 18:41:49 by Paradoxia:

Personally, I feel that the story is more interesting if he's software (just my opinion I guess).

2008-08-21 21:17:43 by Loki:

I disagree paradoxia...I mean everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But if he is human, than this is a great story to show how possible it is to program someone. Keep telling someone that they aren't a person and they'll eventually start to believe it themselves. Still, interesting writing all the same.

2008-11-11 23:22:55 by Evermore:

I must disagree with you Loki. If he really is human, than he himself will be seeing the room he is in, and eating the food he is given, and drinking the water. He would feel hungry when he didn't eat, and thirsty if he went without water for a time. All things signifying his humanity. The only way I can see him eventually considering himself AI was if he was locked in a pitch black room, unable to move save typing, and hooked up to an IV so he never got hungry or thirsty.

2008-11-14 06:56:47 by nottelling:

acually, a good robot could still feel those things.
I think hes human.

2008-11-19 00:28:35 by Synthuir:

No, no, it would be more interesting if he was human. His captors would be acting out an xkcd comic where the turing test attempts to convince the reader that he/she is a robot, when they aren't. This would be an ultimate torture, as he eventually becomes more and more likely to disbelieve in the fact that he's human.

2008-11-19 01:04:19 by Sam:

For the record, this was written and published about five months before xkcd's "Turing Test" comic.

2008-11-23 21:11:01 by Michael:

you guys all have good arguments, but i think he's a chatbot. why? because he himself never stated his own childhood memory. (color could be prechosen). he didn't get his own joke either....think about it

2008-11-25 03:44:22 by DontEatRawHagis:

First off this is amazing. Reminds me of the Cube by Jim Henson. How do you know what reality is? Looking at this from a technical aspect it seems not plausible for a chatbot, seems too complicated for me, but hey I dont even know alot about them.

The thing that shows he is a chatbot is the fact that he doesnt have any IMs when he is alone, if I was in a chatroom for a while I would do something like keep track of my thoughts through out the use of the computer. When he talks to G he keeps going but doesnt IM out of frustration of people leaving such as typing GOD DAMN IT or something like that.

Definitely based off of Jim Henson's TV movie play if you want to watch it try Google Video.

2008-12-05 03:34:30 by Don:

There are foolproof ways of determining if you're talking to a bot (Google around for them).

It's also impossible to say whether or not the character "Z" is a bot, simply because the story is fictional.

Nice story though. ;)

2009-02-08 17:47:50 by suminona:

"He would feel hungry when he didn't eat, and thirsty if he went without water for a time. All things signifying his humanity."

Actually, the clever thing about this is that because the entire thing is just a transcription of a chatroom, he could be just saying those things (just like a bot would). You never really see things from his perspective.

2009-04-09 06:33:41 by Chimerasame:

I think there're enough Americans with money enough for frivolous international calls, or, who would tell British friends about the site, that someone -would- call the number sooner than later, and most likely report their findings to the forum. I think it's also likely that were this reported on the forum, someone would want to follow that line of questioning with a bot--"Hey, we tried your number and ___!" Yet, no one has told him within their chat with him that they tried the number.

Further, I think that this would happen even if there is no response on the other end when someone calls. The only way someone wouldn't report it is if someone actually answers on the other end and says something fairly convincing to encourage people not to tell others on the forum what happened.

For this outcome to emerge from the "Z is human" premise, then we have to believe that someone (perhaps I) has commandeered Rebecca Layton's phone and is giving such a convincing phone response. (Or perhaps I -is- Rebecca, and she has imprisoned her husband?) This is possible, but highly improbable.

For this outcome to emerge from the "Z is a chatbot" premise, then we only have to believe that I has programmed Z to believe that his phone number is a certain string of digits which is actually I's own number. That is much more plausible.

Therefore, I voted chatbot.

However, having typed this, I think Human is now more likely, except--not human stuck in a room. Human intentionally performing for the purposes of a societal study, to determine something like... how many people that IM will also call.

2009-04-20 05:21:21 by Daniel:

Ok, I'm a phd student with a focus of artificial intelligence. These types of responses could not possibly be from any type of "bot". it's showing independent thoughts and various sentence structures. I don't want to go through everything, but if i was to guess, some guy wrote this entire thing up. or someone really is trapped.

2009-04-21 03:03:45 by Theparadox:

@dan

the paradox inherent in this story, is when does an ai become more than a program. When is it a conscious being capable of such thought. Z could be either a programmed intelligence that has reached the level of self awareness and as such, is able to reason and be clever like you say a bot cannot. Or he really could be a human trapped in a room, pretending to be a chat bot. how can you tell? I voted chat bot.

2009-04-22 02:53:21 by Marcus:

Actually "A" told him that nobody was picking up the phone.
I think it's very possible that he was a bot - thinks like varying sentence structures, terms to use and writing in caps can easily be done.
Either by using a random generator for the choices he has to make and let the choices themselves be subtle enough so that nobody actually notices how random it is, or by giving him values for different emotions, like anxiety, which increase or decrease when given certain responses/keywords.
I find it very interesting that, in the beginning, Z acts very human and you can tell he is "scared" and "confused". Towards the end however, when all the people told him they thought that he was a bot, his responses become more and more detached, more static, as if he would start to believe it himself.

2009-04-24 14:43:47 by Matt:

I may have misses something, but nobody has mentioned Andrew.

2009-06-06 02:04:15 by Ray:

Is it just me, or does this feel kind of like a remake of Milgram's experiment in reverse? Assuming that Z is human.

2009-06-06 08:55:34 by Celti:

You need one more option for that poll: "I don't know."

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