ELIZA was one of the first programs that let people hold a conversation with a computer, written by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966 to play a psychotherapist. This page hosts elizabot.js, a faithful JavaScript recreation made by mass:werk (Norbert Landsteiner), with terminal and speech-enabled demos and a ZIP download of the code. When you arrive, you get a chat window and a therapist who answers almost everything with another question. Talk to it for a few minutes and you will see how a handful of simple rules, spotting keywords and reflecting your own words back at you, can create a convincing illusion of understanding. Then try to break the illusion by changing the subject abruptly; the seams show quickly, which is half the fun. It is a short, free lesson in the history of AI, and a useful reminder that sounding attentive is not the same as understanding. Developers can download the source to see exactly how little code it takes.
Tips for getting the most out of it
- Talk about your family or your feelings; those keywords trigger the best replies.
- Then change the subject abruptly to see the illusion break.
- Developers can download the ZIP and read the code.
Questions about ELIZA (elizabot.js)
What is ELIZA?
ELIZA is an early chatbot from 1966 that imitates a psychotherapist by spotting keywords and turning your statements back into questions. It was written by Joseph Weizenbaum. This page hosts elizabot.js, a JavaScript recreation, so you can try the original idea in your browser. In short: A faithful JavaScript recreation of the 1966 chatbot ELIZA.
Who made elizabot.js?
The elizabot.js recreation is credited to mass:werk (Norbert Landsteiner), who hosts it at masswerk.at with terminal and speech-enabled demos and a ZIP download. The original ELIZA program, which it imitates, dates from 1966 and was written by Joseph Weizenbaum. For reference, ELIZA (elizabot.js) is best tried on a desktop if you can, takes about 5 min to enjoy, and we check its link daily.
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