[Sigia-l] machines interpret users' emotions

[Dennis]

Greg Richards wrote:

> I think we should all be afraid of the day when a computer senses user
> frustration and then it gets up and walks away.

Wow! And just like that, my computer scooted off my desk and walked away.

Amazing.

I'm not sure if I'd say I fear the day that my computer circumvents my
potential frustrations with it's interface, whatever the technical artifact at
hand.

The more complex and important roles technologies subsume in everyday life, the
more sensitive their computers (remember motors?) should be. One of the more
useful "sensitive computing" applications I've read of recently is being done
in Cleveland at CWRU with quadraplegics using electrical thought impulse
devices attached through specially placed skull caps to allow users to pick up
a fork or use a pen. In these computer devices, the room for usability problems
and insensitive devices is low to say the least.

If I fear anything it is the day my computer realizes that it and millions of
other desktops just like it are dirtier than the common toilet (i.e., my
favorite bit of "research" heard of late) and can tell me about it.

Sensitively,

Dennis Huston