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. (Jan.)