What exactly is AI?Ī. The English Oxford Living Dictionary gives this definition: “The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making and translation between languages.” In short, engineers and computer scientists are working to develop computers that mimic, as much as possible, how the human brain works. Q. You’re not, like, assessing my mental state right now, are you, Ellie? The idea is for me to help clinicians attain a better diagnosis or screening. I have been designed to instantly pick up on such “tells,” which a real therapist initially might not notice. For example, persons with PTSD have been shown to engage in more “self-adaptor” gestures, such as directly touching their head or their hands. I was designed to complement their skills in picking up nonverbal cues such as head nods and eye shifts, which can be subtle. Q. Will virtual therapists like you replace real ones?Ī. I wasn’t created to replace clinicians. These two factors tend to make them more honest and open. Many patients like talking to me because they feel they aren’t being judged and they feel more anonymous. Q. Why don’t these veterans just see a human therapist?Ī. My creators, USC Viterbi Research Assistant Professor Louis-Philippe Morency, psychologist Albert “Skip” Rizzo and other members of the ICT team, created me to help abolish the stigma around therapy and to help clinicians as a decision-support tool. Through a microphone, webcam and a sensor, my underlying technology allows me to detect nonverbal cues and translate their meaning. What do you know about dealing with anxiety, anyway?Ī. Actually, I work with military veterans diagnosed with PTSD.Ī. Yes. Q. I feel a bit odd talking to a computer.
Of course, with any technology, one needs to be cautious about how it gets used. I also believe that generally, the average person feels some uncertainty - anxiety, even - about AI, which for decades has served as popular fodder for movies and novels as a scary technological advancement that someday could lead to sentient machines taking over the world. Is that common?Ī. With someone with your viewing habits, I would say most definitely. To put it simply, I’m concerned about AI taking over the world. Next up in my queue is the original “Westworld” with Yul Brenner, who plays a murderous robot.
Q. “Ex Machina,” “I, Robot,” “Minority Report.” I’m on a binge-watching kick. Q. Hold on a second, Ellie, I need to sign off of Netflix. The following is an imagined Q&A between Hardesty and Ellie about very real things. A conversation with Ellie, a USC-created virtual therapist, helps calm the nerves of a writer concerned about AI, machine learning and related ominous-sounding stuff.
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