An Animated Avatar Could Screen Humans For National Security

An Animated Avatar Could Screen Humans For National Security!

Citizenry is guided and governed by extant laws of the land. The people are also bound by specific rules and regulations, enforced by competent governing agencies. The state has the mandate to ask general or specific group of people to undergo well defined procedures, aimed at meeting ordained requirements. Governments have their own system of compiling information on diverse aspects. The data bank, so created, is stored as per established system. The huge volume of information is graded, so as to simplify public access to it. Prevalent rules are applied to segregate the particulars.

Access to data collected by government is determined by established procedures. Security clearances are required for getting access to information, deemed as sensitive. The confidentiality of the data is decided, again by the government. All these procedures are carried out by humans and hence the concept of human behavior has to be taken into consideration. Exactness of information is of paramount importance. Hence authorities need a truthful person to handle the sensitive task of storing confidential information and disclosing it to rightful persons as and when required.

Analysis of behavioral patterns of people, when they part with information about self, was minutely studied by psychologists. The conclusions drawn from scrutiny were quite revealing and shed light on the typical characteristics of human behavior. It was observed that people tend to mask inconvenient truths about themselves. Psychologists pondered over ways to elicit truthful responses, without overt application of any pressure. The very act of sharing even uncharitable truth about self should come from within. Various models of interviewing techniques were developed and tested on volunteers. The objective was to ferret out truthful information from individuals, by motivating them.

Screening of prospective employees for government jobs is a universal practice. The screening process normally is done in two parts. First, the applicants fill in information about self and family in a prescribed written format, followed by an interview. On the basis of combined result of written and verbal responses, security clearance is given, paving the way to get the government job. The Security Clearance procedure was one of the testing areas of psychologists. Since all government employees are rightfully expected to be trustworthy and loyal to the country. They are also expected to be of good conduct and character without any criminal past. It becomes a Herculean task to determine the exact element of truth in responses.

Recent publications about human behavior and interactive computers has claimed that humans are more willing to share the truth with a machine than with another human. The study conducted showed that people divulged things about alcohol or drug use or mental health issues, when they were made to answer the questions from an on-screen avatar.  On-screen avatar was devised to look friendly. The computer was equipped with speech recognition capabilities. The element of truth in an individual’s response was corroborated by heart and skin responses collected through electrodes, specially attached to the individual during the interview. In fact, people were seen sharing extra information voluntarily. The publication also claims that the arduous task of screening thousands of humans can be done more objectively and more reliably, by means of an on-screen avatar. This application would shorten the long bureaucratic route.

Computer technology has become an integral part of human existence. A computer is also occupying more and more space in everyday life, claiming hitherto uncharted territories of human endeavors. How far would it go? The answer is best left to the future.