Computer scientists have pioneered a new method that could be used to develop more “natural” automated virtual assistants to help people suffering from mental illness.
Computer scientists have pioneered a new method that could be used to develop more “natural” automated virtual assistants to help people suffering from mental illness.
The new method, called SMERTI (pronounced: “Smarty”), enables virtual assistants (VA) to use natural language and emotional cues that change depending on the relationship and situations they are used. The result allows for the development of VAs that better connect with people they are used to help.
“Certain personalities or emotions within a virtual assistant appeal more to certain individuals,” said Steven Feng, an undergraduate student in Waterloo’s David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science. “Enabling virtual assistants, based on the situation, to tweak the words or sentences used to match the personalities could lead to on-demand chatbots available to talk to people with mental illness and cognitive disabilities whenever they require.
“There is an increasing number of people who require mental health therapy, but there are not enough therapists to deal with these cases. Being able to automate some aspects of treatment will be beneficial as it would reduce wait time and make the process more affordable. But the emotional aspects of mental health are a major challenge for virtual assistants.”
Read more at University of Waterloo
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