Companioning is a tough job, and few if any current dialogue systems are up to the task. How can systems develop a relationship with their users that will transcend a simple task interaction or momentary amusing diversion? The goal should be systems that people look forward to interacting with as much as playing their favorite games or meeting their real friends. Many current dialogue system strategies conflict with this goal, even though they provide good value at their intended functions. In this talk I will propose a set of principles for companionable dialogue systems and illustrate with successful and unsuccessful techniques from existing dialogue systems and embodied conversational agents.
['David R. Traum']
Do's and Don'ts for Software Companions