"Robert 2.0" chatbot : World's first "robot ufologist"?? (Christmas present 2 of 3)

During 2018, I have been exploring the potential application of various forms of Artificial Intelligence software to UFO research. I have focused mainly on potential data analysis, partly because I now have a rather large collection of digitised UFO books, magazines/newsletters, dissertations, official documents and case reports (possibly - so far as I can tell - the largest such collection in the world).

As a minor, fun off-shoot of that work on AI software, I have created a chatbot to attempt to respond to raw reports of basic UFO sightings by asking some questions and suggesting _possible_ solutions for them. This may, hopefully, lead to automated ways of trying to filter UFO reports.

"Robert 2.0" is, of course, just a fairly basic first attempt. At least I think it is a first. I'm not aware of anyone previously attempting to create a chatbot of this type. I understand that the convention is to hype up such chatbots as being "robots" (which, as a fan of Isaac Asimov, I find a bit offensive...) and to add "world's first" in front of any such innovation...

You can interact with "Robert 2.0" at the link below:
tinyurl.com...







I have also integrated "Robert 2.0" with Facebook, so you can also interact with this chatbot by going to the webpage below and clicking on the "Send Message" button at the top right of the page and just sending "hi" or "hello" to start the interaction:
www.facebook.com...

The "Robert 2.0" chatbot utilises logic set out in flowcharts published in the updated version of the book "UFO Study". That book was originally written by veteran ufologist Jenny Randles. It was subsequently updated by another British researcher, Robert Moore. They have made the updated version of that book available online as a searchable PDF. It can be found at the link below.
files.afu.se...




The logic for the daytime sightings part of the chatbot is based on the flowchart below from "UFO Study", as updated by Robert Moore.


The logic for the nocturnal sightings part of the chatbot is based on the flowchart below from "UFO Study", as updated by Robert Moore.


The "Robert 2.0" chatbot uses the IBM Watson Assistant framework, with integration with Facebook. The logic reflected in the above flowcharts can be easily amended, expanded and refined. Nothing is written in stone. Everything can be edited with a few clicks and a bit of thought.



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The point of this little exercise is not to develop a perfect chatbot. "Robert 2.0", bless his heart, certainly isn't that bright. The point, however, is to prompt a bit of thinking about _how_ UFO reports can be filtered and how this can be achieved most efficiently and effectively - whether using chatbots, AI software or otherwise.


Basically, I just hope this provides a bit of fun at the end of 2018 ... and prompts a bit of thought during 2019.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

I'm just glad to see you still around Isaac, always enjoy reading what you come up with.

We know how it normally ends up with AI chatbots and Hitler once the trolls get a chance to play with it

Brilliant and evolutionary is no overstatement. Bravo.

Great work! However, I have said Hi, Hello etc on Robert's chat/message, and he seems to be asleep

haha awesome... i gave robert all he asked for about a real UFO or at least i pointed it that way.

Robert says

Robert 2.0's suggestion based on answers entered : Possibly a searchlight. Bye.

searchlight haha crazy

I checked the tiny URL instead of the Facebook link. It does work, but I couldn't get past the second question. It asked if the object was moving. I was in a car on the freeway and couldn't tell if it was or not. No matter how I tried to answer it kept asking me to rephrase, then I guess Robert got frustrated and stopped the chat

originally posted by: The GUT
Brilliant and evolutionary is no overstatement. Bravo.

Yup😊

This needs to be broadened somewhat. When Robert asked if my daylight siting was a disc and I said no, he told me “balloon, bye”. Not a balloon, sorry. I think with some tweaking this could be a useful tool.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

Thank you for all of your hard work and interest in this subject. I sent you an gmail email to you containing video and pics of objects that I and others have seen. Hopefully you know some who seek the truth and will carry on the crusade and can point me in their direction.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

Good one Barrister! A fellow whom is with MUFON Canada wrote me about using predictive software to possibly guess as to when and where the next UFO(s) will appear at a specific location at a specific time.. I am sure that AI could be applied and integrated within that type of software program. I worked with Weibull software that Dr. Robert Abernathy wrote for the SR71 Blackbird. I was in contact with him back in 1999. So look at where we are today. His Weibull software was used by us back then to predict diesel engine component failure along with an estimated quantity and time looking into the future. Incorporating it within our own software we could predict with a high degree of statistical confidence the failure of a particular component and would provide us time and quantity along with the type of failure. Thus it allowed us to react. However all of this is dependent on the data; IE MUFON or NUFORC reports. It’s possible and it can be done. Thanks for your article!

Dr. Robert Abernethy