Interactive online characters

Interactive online characters, also called interactive characters or automated characters are characters that enhance human-computer interaction by simulating real-world conversations and experience. Interaction models can be constructed that guide conversations in planned directions or that allow characters to guide natural language exchanges.

Benefits

Because such characters can express social roles and emotions of real people, they can increase the trust that users place in online experiences. The level of interactiveness increases the perceived realism and effectiveness of such "actors", which translates into more prosperous on-line services and commerce.

Example application

One example result from a recent study indicates the power of a character when moderating search inquiries. When a character asked people to type search requests into a window, people used, on average, three more words in their requests (averaging about 7 words per inquiry) compared to identical requests made without a character. Character suggest that a conversational style is appropriate, resulting in higher liking for the interaction on the part of the user, and better accuracy for the engine generating the required results.

See also

• Chatterbot
• Avatar (computing)
• Computer facial animation
• Cyberformance
• Emerging Virtual Institutions
• Simulated reality
• Social simulation
• Virtual reality