Researchers Investigate Early Language Acquisition in Robots

Beedle-beedle-boop!

--R2R2

Research in language-acquisition does not require the acquisition-device be part of a humanoid robot. Research in computational linquistics has been ongoing since the 1970s with SHRDLU being an early example. Robert Berwick of MIT's AI group has contributed much in this field, particularly in the area of grammar acquisition through correct examples. His work is specific-language independent and can learn the rules of correct grammar usage regardless of whether the language is English, German, Japanese or Swahili.

Years ago I wrote a variant of Eliza - a Rogerian psychiatrist who gets the patient to "talk-out" his or her problems to a shrink who doesn't really contribute much other than to keep the patient talking. Mine was a little different in that it would insult the 'patient' if she showed signs of being inhibited (say, by pressing the spacebar as a response, for example, or just hitting the Return key). Another thing it would do is gossip to the next patient about the previous one. Hehe.