This is the age of everything internet. When someone wants to look up something or find out information or directions, they Google it or look to Siri, Cortana or Alexa. Now there is Hal, which stands for Human Artificial Intelligence instead of AI, which is Artificial Intelligence. There was a time when people wanted advice on things or had to vent, they wrote to"Dear Abby". Today they write to Hal but you text him.
In this time, many people are constantly talking to computers which has created a form of isolation. This can lead to all kinds of problems for them. They have minimal contact with people and can sometimes go to a dark place, which can then result in severe loss of normalcy in their behavior. In an episode of Boston Legal, Jerry Espenson famously called 411 just looking for a human voice but was instead greeted by a computer asking "city and state, please." Because Hal is powered by a person, he has even been able to prevent suicide because the person can talk it out and get to a better place.
Being Hal is a paid position, just like an Uber driver. The position of Hal is paid by the interaction with the user. The longer you are interacting with the user, the more you get paid. The cost for the user is $3.99 per month unlimited usage. The availability of Hal is 24/7 and always there when the user needs him. There is a tool inside the app where the user can store information from previous chats that they may need to refer to for later use, such as a favorite restaurant or the best place to visit in certain cities. This can be very helpful for anyone traveling with any frequency, or who entertains a lot.
Hal is available now but for more information go to the website.
Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.
