Chapter 11 - Organising Computer Talk

Abstract

In the advice system the choice of possible next turns available to the user and to the system is controlled by a set of rules based on conversation analysis (CA). The advice system uses a conventional mouse, screen and keyboard interface. The findings of CA about human-human interaction would seem to be even more likely to be able to make a contribution to the design of voice-mediated human-computer dialogues, where the user speaks to the machine and the machine's responses are generated using a speech synthesizer. Despite these opportunities, there has been some skepticism about applying CA findings to the design of computer systems and of developing computational models of conversational phenomena. This chapter explores whether this skepticism is wholly justified. One advantage of the computational approach, both to linguistics and to understanding conversation, is that it forces the analyst to be clear and precise about what is being proposed. It provides a way to conceptualize and explore the consequences of the fact that conversation is the outcome of two or more independent, goal-directed individuals. The chapter describes a current speech system project, the ESPIRIT II Sundial project that aims to draw on some of the interactional strategies revealed by CA. It also discusses shortcomings of this model to see whether the problems are as such to invalidate the enterprise or are merely difficulties that can be overcome by a more sophisticated model. The aim of the Sundial project is to develop a computer system which is capable of conversing with members of the public over the telephone to answer simple queries, such as the time of arrival of a particular airline flight or the times of trains.