ELIZA (1966): Developed by Joseph Weizenbaum at MIT, ELIZA was one of the first programs to simulate human conversation, using pattern matching and scripted responses—most famously in the DOCTOR script, which mimicked a Rogerian psychotherapist. Though technically simple, lacking true understanding or memory, ELIZA astonished users who attributed empathy and intelligence to it. This “ELIZA effect” revealed how easily humans anthropomorphize machines, raising early ethical questions about human-computer relationships. Weizenbaum himself was alarmed by the emotional responses, warning against overreliance on AI in sensitive domains. Despite its limitations, ELIZA pioneered natural language processing and inspired chatbot development for decades. It demonstrated that even shallow interaction could feel meaningful, foreshadowing today’s conversational agents and highlighting the gap between appearance and actual cognition in AI systems.
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