The Better to See You...
By Al Williams
We probably have the technology today to completely automate a fast food restaurant. You don't see many robot restaurants, though, and the reasons are obvious. First, people like to deal with people (well, most of us anyway). That's why we like to go to restaurants where the staff knows us. Second, the best computers we can build today function at the level of a gifted five-year-old. They can follow instructions to the letter, but when it comes to the unexpected, even the lowest-level human employees react better than computers can. Perhaps these employees' reactions won't be what the management wants, but at least they'll react in ways that make sense to other humans.
Because of this, I have a feeling that in the future, we'll see more interaction with live people on the Web. This idea isn't so far from inbound telemarketing. Already, several Web sites offer live support chats, but I envision something even more pervasive. Imagine a world in which every screen contains a live person who greets you, answers your questions, and maybe even makes a suggestion if you look lost. Yes, you could achieve this with artificial intelligence, but humans are much better at customer service, and much cheaper over the short term.
I think streaming video will be an important part of these strategies. After all, a disembodied voice (or typist) isn't very personal. In fact, I've already seen a few companies that have Webcams of their support bull pens, and other parts of their businesses too.
Recycle, Reuse
Thinking about Web interaction and cameras made me wonder what it would take to write software that would make a system like this work.
