Posted on 09/20/2017 12:58:24 PM PDT by mairdie
Could chatbots lend a non-judgemental ear to people making decisions about the end of their life? A virtual agent that helps people have conversations about their funeral plans, wills and spiritual matters is set to be trialled in Boston over the next two years with people who are terminally ill.
People near the end of their lives sometimes don’t get the chance to have these important conversations before it’s too late, says Timothy Bickmore at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. So Bickmore and his team – which included doctors and hospital chaplains – built a tablet-based chatbot to offer spiritual and emotional guidance to people that need it. “We see a need for technology to intervene at an earlier point,” he says.
And it has already seen some success. Bickmore’s team initially tested the chatbot with 44 people aged 55 and over in Boston. Just under half those adults had some kind of chronic illness, and nearly all had spent time with someone who was dying. After spending time talking to the chatbot, most of the participants reported that they felt less anxious about death and were more ready to complete their last will and testament.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
An AI to consult on 'spiritual' matters and to help me decide if I should kill myself. What could go wrong?
I'm here to help and I'm listening ...
What’s the image from? I’m not familiar with it.
MAGNIFICENT!!!
Exactly.
A chat-bot, probably written by an Obamacare-loving limousine liberal. What could possibly go wrong?
Soylent Green according to the picture properties
Soylent Green.
Uhm...no
You said "no". Would you like it to be 15%?
Uhm...no, I mean...
20%?
I uhm...no...<cough>...
Donation level to Chatbot Corp set to 100%, to verify please make a sound...
No! I mean...I didn't mean to make a sound...<croak>
Thank you, have a good after-life. Noting time of death, and 100% of estate to be donated to Chatbot Corp...
Maybe nursing homes will soon be mechanized and computerized like some of the fast food places. Someone should write a book about it called, maybe, “Processing Hillary’s Old Girls.”
Soylent Green is made from people.
Is there a sanctuary?
I see this article and all I can think about is a Dalek from Dr. Who screaming ‘EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINAAAATE!’.
Yes, I know.
I’m at death’s door. I’m seeking info in regards to my final few hours and dayS here on the earth.
And going on a chatbox with some anonymous stranger is an option?
Sad. Very sad.
Death Panel is right.
“Gee, Mr. 2nd. Your private assets and insurance benefits have been exhausted. Leaving only Social Security. But not to worry. I’ve scheduled your funeral and burial for the 16th of next month.”
(END CHAT)
It would just be my luck to get one that just says “Off yourself, off yourself, off yourself, etc etc etc.
I am open to conversing with chatbots who can supply before-the-fact winning lottery numbers.
“A chat-bot, probably written by an Obamacare-loving limousine liberal. What could possibly go wrong?”
A limousine liberal might have paid for it, but they don’t create anything. The ones I have known either inherited their wealth or got a crony deal.
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