Saturday, August 13, 2005

Jerk-O-Meter - One scary device

Imagine that a phone can check the way you talk and tell u to behave - only my sister or mother do it - now phones are also going to start doing that - No thanks to MIT ;)

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing software that measures how interested a phone caller is in your conversation.
The Jerk-O-Meter analyses speech patterns and tonal changes to measure on a scale of one to 100 how engaged the subject is about the call.
If it detects that the recipient is losing interest in the call it flashes up messages like 'Don't be a jerk!' or 'Be a little nicer now'.
"The Jerk-O-Meter is a real-time speech feature analysis application that runs on your VoIP phone or cellphone that remedies precisely that experience," said a spokesman for the Human Dynamics Group at MIT Media Lab.
"It uses speech features for activity and stress (and soon empathy) to measure if you are 'being a jerk' on the phone.
"The phone displays messages in case you are, and can be set up to inform the person on the other end of the line that you're extremely busy."
The final code should be ready next year and the first applications will probably be in the telesales industry.
The MIT Media Lab's other projects include mathematical modelling of conversations during speed dating to improve the chances of getting a date, and cinema audience monitoring tools that can gauge reactions to a film.

6 Comments:

Blogger Narayanan Venkitu said...

Interesting...Looks like the MIT guys don't have anything else to do? Just kidding.!

Wondering who would be the target audience. I wouldn't like to have this software running.!

13 August, 2005 17:00  
Blogger Aatma said...

Yeah Narayanan Sir, same here, don't want a machine telling me how to talk, but yeah I can understand why they must be doing :) Looks like a lot people are not talking well with them

13 August, 2005 17:07  
Blogger Adaengappa !! said...

Yes,Inniku CNN la padichen..i worry about the issue of privacy !!

13 August, 2005 20:08  
Blogger Aatma said...

Welcome to my blog adengappa, illa there is no issue of privacy, as it is on our end. But the concept that a device is going to judge my behaviour and give me advice - no thanks right ;)

13 August, 2005 22:29  
Blogger Adaengappa !! said...

Jerk-o-meter pathi naan padichathu !!

14 August, 2005 15:46  
Blogger Aatma said...

Now thats scary adengappa, I didn't know that it could be fixed on the other end also :(

14 August, 2005 19:01  

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