Virtual personal assistant
A hypothesis that a chatbot with natural language algorithms and localised data could be trained to function as a VPA with user based data control is devised, which will require the program to be able to create metadata by forming links between data it is given and provide contextual outputs during the interaction that the user finds useful.
Abstract
2 Abstract This report discusses ways in which new technology could be harnessed to create an intelligent Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) with a focus on user- based data. It will look at examples of intelligent programs with natural language processing that are currently available, with different categories of support, and examine the potential usefulness of one specific piece of software as a VPA. This engages the ability to communicate socially through natural language processing, holding and analysing data within the context of the user. It is suggested that new technologies may soon make the idea of virtual personal assistants a reality. Experiments conducted on this system, combined with user testing, have provided evidence that a basic program with natural language processing algorithms in the form of a VPA, with basic natural language processing and the ability to function without the need for other type of human input (or programming) may already be viable. Background Recent events have focused much attention on personal data and the parlous nature of boundaries previously drawn between private and public systems. Many people now wonder who has access to data resulting from unwise posts to social media sites, or monitoring of supposedly private emails and telephone conversations. As the focus of supporting systems is shifting towards holding more data within 'the Cloud', the privacy and security of this data has become a cause for concern. With this area of social concern in mind, the idea of a VPA becomes attractive as it changes the focus of the supporting system to the contextual sphere under private control of the user. We have devised a hypothesis that a chatbot with natural language algorithms and localised data could be trained to function as a VPA with user based data control. This will require the program to be able to create metadata by forming links between data it is given and provide contextual outputs during the interaction that the user finds useful. When looking at a number of currently available intelligent programs with natural language processing capabilities, many examples can be found in everyday life filling a variety of roles. The intelligent bot Siri can be found as standard on Apple mobile devices now and is considered a core component on these devices. Siri is a