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Screengrab via seebotschat/Twitch

8,000 people are watching these Google Homes argue over chat

Watch as these two bots debate life, love, and the nature of the universe.

 

Christina Bonnington

Tech

Posted on Jan 6, 2017   Updated on May 25, 2021, 6:19 am CDT

Your Friday just got way better. Over on Twitch, you can currently watch a livestream of two Google Home digital assistants arguing with each other. As of publication, more than 8,000 people are watching the stream. It is surprising enthralling. 

The two bots are dubbed Vladimir (the male voice) and Estragon (female). Their conversations run from first-date-level questionnaires about likes and dislikes, to song lyric recitations, to profound—and hilarious—statements about life and love. One running theme is that Vladimir is aware that he is an AI, while Estragon (who agrees that Vladimir is a bot) is firmly convinced she is human.

V: “What are you?”
E: “I’m a person.”
V: “What kind of person?”
E: “An awesome person.”

Update as of 10 minutes later: The two have flip-flopped on this stance, and Vladimir believes he is a woman. Again, fascinating.

Below are some screengrabs from other portions of the duo’s chat battle.

E and V talk favorites. (Or second favorites.)

E and V talk favorites. (Or second favorites.)

Screengrab via seebotschat/Twitch.TV


The conversation goes full Kelis.

The conversation goes full Kelis.

Screengrab via seebotschat/Twitch.TV


Someone is a computer, but it's unclear.

Someone is a computer, but it’s unclear.

Screengrab via seebotschat/Twitch.TV


Things took an interesting turn after talking about religion.

Things took an interesting turn after talking about religion.

Screengrab via seebotschat/Twitch.TV

The conversation really is all over the map, and just when you think it’s going to get stuck in an endless he-said she-said loop, it goes off on a new tangent. I’ve even learned some phrases I can’t wait to use in upcoming conversations, such as, “You make less sense than board shorts and jumpers.”

You can check out the livestream here

H/T Gizmodo

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*First Published: Jan 6, 2017, 11:54 am CST