ChatScript, the language and engine underlying the 2010 Loebner winner Suzette, has been released as open source at http://sourceforge.net/projects/chatscript. The engine runs stand-alone under Windows and can act as a server on LINUX.

While writing basic script is fast and easy with a simple text editor, ChatScript has many advanced capabilities that, when properly utilitized, permit extremely clever bots to the programmed.

Also there is a potentially useful ontology of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs for understanding meaning.
Yes, I know about SUMO, but it doesn’t do adjectives and adverbs, and it isn’t oriented for nouns and verbs the way I have a use for it wrt chatbots. And WordNet’s ontology is similarly lacking.

Also there are 3/4 million volleys of chat for those who want to data-mine what humans do with a chatbot.

Thanks, Bruce, for your contribution here. I’ve downloaded the package, along with the chatlog and ontology, and I’ll be giving this a “look see”, after the CBC.

Are you going to enter Suzette in the CBC this year?

Probably not. The suzette on server is property of Blue Mars, version from 8 months before Loebner.  I don’t “own” suzette, so hosting a more advanced copy elsewhere is not my prerogative, and ChatScript version is not Chat-L compatible.  I am working on my own bot that I would own completely, but not likely ready in time.

Yes, I know about SUMO, but it doesn’t do adjectives and adverbs, and it isn’t oriented for nouns and verbs the way I have a use for it wrt chatbots. And WordNet’s ontology is similarly lacking

I had similar problems.

tx Bruce, based on your source code, the Loebner Prize 2011 can only be smarter. Thanks for advancing conversational AI.

I’ve made a few links in the topic on the thread clickable btw.

Bruce, are the files under some sort of license or are you putting them in the public domain?

all the header files have a completely unrestricted open license.

As for loebner 2011 being smarter… yes, someone could author a top-level bot in that time frame, though they might not be ready in time for the qualifiers. And because topics can be authored completely orthoganal to each other, it would be easy for a group to split up authoring tasks.

It would be great if you released the “fake typing” code that’s required for the loebner protocol too!

The script used for the judging of the Loebner Competition is available to the public, and it contains a “fake typing” function, but it’s written in PERL, so you may have to “port” it over to whatever language that you’re currently using. I’ve done some “tweaking” to that function for myself, to randomize the time interval between each character, and even tossed in the occasional “typo” and “correction”, to make it seem more “human”. the function even fails to “correct” a tiny number of “typos”, too, though I made sure that it doesn’t happen TOO often. I’ve still got the modified function somewhere, but I’ll be darned if I can find it right now.

The “script” used for the “judging” of the Loebner “Competition”

There, fixed that for you :)

Bruce Wilcox - Feb 27, 2011:

yes, someone could author a top-level bot in that time frame, though they might not be ready in time for the qualifiers. And because topics can be authored completely orthoganal to each other, it would be easy for a group to split up authoring tasks.

Bruce, that sounds suspiciously like an invitation to some sort of collaboration. If so, I may be interested.

1—- re loebner protocol—-  I will be happy in the next release of chatscript (this weekend or next probably) to release files for which one can build a loebner running entry— its a VS solution which inherits all the main chatscript project source and then adds some more on top of it.

2—- I suggest collaboration as a good approach for people to catch up to speed, but I’m not available to do so myself. My plate is full as it is.

Bruce Wilcox - Mar 3, 2011:

1—- re loebner protocol—-  I will be happy in the next release of chatscript (this weekend or next probably) to release files for which one can build a loebner running entry— its a VS solution which inherits all the main chatscript project source and then adds some more on top of it.

2—- I suggest collaboration as a good approach for people to catch up to speed, but I’m not available to do so myself. My plate is full as it is.

Chatbots.org can facilitate this project. We can write a call for action on this forum, and make it more visible across the site. What do you think?

What happened to your portrait by the way? Problems with uploading or cropping?

Erwin Van Lun - Mar 3, 2011:

Chatbots.org can facilitate this project. We can write a call for action on this forum, and make it more visible across the site. What do you think?

I think this is a great idea, Erwin. If we can get a team together, with the express intention of taking on the 2011 Loebner Competition, I think we could stand a good chance of being in the top 5, at least.

Erwin Van Lun - Mar 3, 2011:

What happened to your portrait by the way? Problems with uploading or cropping?

It seems to me as if Bruce has “lost his head” a little bit.