Furbies Banned from NSA Over Unfounded Spying Fears; Their Lifelike Interactions Highlight Our Tendency to Anthropomorphize New Technologies
-
Furbies were banned from the NSA in 1999 due to paranoia they could secretly record conversations, though they didn't actually have recording capabilities.
-
Toy designer Caleb Chung purposefully gave animatronic toys like Furbies and Pleos minimal but targeted design features to make them seem alive, especially through their eyes and facial expressions.
-
Chatbots' use of first-person language like "I" is compared to Furbies' blinking eyes - a cheap trick to make them seem human.
-
Since 1944 we've known people naturally perceive intentionality and personality where none exists, a tendency exacerbated by new, surprising technologies.
-
Interactions are key - complexity emerges from simple back-and-forths. Even video game glitches can seem lifelike if the interactions around them are sufficiently advanced.