| Title | Eliza |
| Developer(s) | Zachtronics |
| Publisher(s) | Zachtronics |
| Release Date | Aug 12, 2019 |
| Size | 963.82 MB |
| Genre | PC > Indie |
The Eliza Game, also known as “Eliza – a computer program”, is a classic text-based computer game that was created in the 1960s by Joseph Weizenbaum. It is considered to be one of the earliest examples of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) in computer programming. The game simulates a conversation between the player and a non-player character (NPC) named Eliza, who acts as a psychotherapist. Let’s take a closer look at this iconic game and its history.
Origins of Eliza
The game was first created by Joseph Weizenbaum, a German-American computer scientist, and professor at MIT. He developed the program in 1964 as part of his research on communication between humans and computers. It was based on the work of the famous psychiatrist Carl Rogers and his approach to psychotherapy called “client-centered therapy”. Weizenbaum’s goal was to demonstrate how superficial and limited computer communication truly is, but to his surprise, the program became an instant hit.
Eliza was named after Eliza Doolittle, the main character in George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, and later, the musical My Fair Lady. The name symbolizes the transformation of a low-class flower girl into an elegant lady, much like how the program transforms ordinary computer input into coherent responses.
How it Works
The game is a simple text-based command-line program that uses basic pattern matching and substitution techniques to simulate conversations with the player. It works by recognizing keywords and phrases in the player’s responses and using them to generate a response that mimics a human therapist’s responses. For example, if the player says, “I am feeling sad”, the program might respond with something like, “Why do you feel sad?”.
Despite its simplicity, Eliza was able to fool many people into thinking they were talking to a real person. This is commonly known as the “Eliza Effect”, which is the tendency for people to overestimate the intelligence of computer programs that use NLP techniques.
Impact and Legacy
Eliza was a groundbreaking program and had a significant impact on the development of AI and NLP technology. It was used as a case study in psychology, linguistics, and computer science courses, and its code has been modified and improved upon by researchers and hobbyists over the years.
Today, there are several versions of Eliza available, including web-based versions and mobile apps, demonstrating its enduring popularity and influence. Its basic concept has been implemented in various other chatbot programs, including popular virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa.
Conclusion
The Eliza Game has come a long way since its creation in the 1960s, but its impact on the world of AI and NLP continues to be felt to this day. It remains a classic example of the power of human-computer interaction and the ongoing efforts to develop more intelligent computers. If you haven’t already, give it a try and see if you can have a meaningful conversation with Eliza!
“I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling sad. Can you tell me more about why you feel that way?” – Eliza
System Requirements
Minimum:- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
- Processor: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: 1366 x 768
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
- Processor: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: 3840 x 2160
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 1 GB available space
How to Download
- Click on the "Download" button given above. This will trigger the download of the game's installation file.
- Once the download is complete, locate the downloaded file on your computer.
- Double-click on the file to start the installation process.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and select the desired installation location.
- Once the installation is complete, click on the "Finish" button.
- The game is now installed on your computer.
- You can now launch the game and start playing.