While developing iTalk, our expert system for online self-service support, an idea emerged from our design group:
This could be bigger than we first imagined. Why not build a universally accessible expert system that is created, educated, maintained, and utilized by the global community?
Without a lot of hesitation, we decided to do it.
The concept, in broad terms, is:
- Build a simple 'google-like' web portal where users can engage Weegy in problem-solving conversation.
- Recruit 'knowledge experts' in a variety of specific knowledge categories. (e.g. automobile repair, financial advice, health and fitness, and countless others categories). Compensation is TBD, but may involve sharing of 'ad-click' revenue.
- When Weegy cannot continue a conversation (as will often happen when Weegy is young and impressionable), she will immediately contact the first available expert to help her continue the conversation.
- All conversation threads becomes a part of Weegy's knowledge and understanding of the world, and help her to become smarter. Eventually, Weegy will be capable of having most conversations on her own. Weegy will learn just by listening to users and 'experts' talk with each other. No other special setup or maintenance is required to build Weegy's intelligence.
- Specific technology will be incorporated into Weegy that will make her self-policing and self-correcting.
- We may build tools that allow 'experts' to create and modify their expert-system decision trees.
- We may release Weegy's knowledgebase to the public domain.