Tell Me a Story: A New Look at Real and Artificial Memory
Artificial intelligence expert Schank and his team at Northwestern University are attempting to build machines that are "interesting to talk to" and also tell interesting stories. An outgrowth of his research, this often intriguing, if overstated probe reflects his belief that "we are the stories we like to tell." In his view, human memory, intelligence and sense of self depend to a large extent on the telling and understanding of stories, stories of many varieties: invented, experiential, secondhand, official or culturally common. Too often, Schank believes, we see our lives in terms of preestablished stories that obscure our actual situation. Getting beyond the "self-descriptive myths" we learn from parents, teachers, friends and family members is a key to growth. Sifting the stories told by divorcees, presidential candidates and Tawana Brawley, and in ordinary conversation, Schank offers a different perspective on intelligence and the search for personal identity.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.