(2009-06-01) Uncanny Valley Via Mego

Alert the Nobel committee, I have the solution for the Uncanny Valley in conversational Robot-s and AI. Affect an irritating humanoid obsession that induces the MEGO effect in the listener.

It needs to be an obsession not shared by the audience. And Selling statements seem particularly effective. These would work for me:

• Have I mentioned the He is Risen?

• Do you know how much Am Way (or Acai Juice, or Social Media - insert your favorite MLM here) can change your life?

• Let me show you my vacation pictures.

• Let me show you pictures of my "babies" (pets)

• ...and that's how I found my 200th Lladro Figure of a crying clown.

• How about that game yesterday? (any Spectator Sports)

• If you actually read the lyrics of the BackStBoys, you'll realize they're, like, poets.