I had heard of Pi.ai before, but had another look at it after listening to Ghizlane Zouaï (https://youtu.be/5x84oNPEcC4?feature=shared ) talking about it on the excellent 1st edtechtools Fest 2024 (14th Virtual Round Table WebConference letstalkonlinedotcom - YouTube) organised by Heike Philp and Helena Galani.
Ghizlane, a young teacher from Algeria, explained that
she had come to rely on the advice that Pi gave her when she started a new job
and faced problems she didn’t know how to deal with and had no one she could really
go to to lend a sympathetic ear. She reached a point where she felt she was
getting too involved with Pi as it was so addictive to find someone she could
always talk to when she wanted advice.
After using Pi again myself, I know just what she meant. I
used the app which meant I could speak to Pi and listen to ‘his’ replies. (I
found that I could do the same on the webpage by using a chrome plugin “Speechnotes'
Voice Typing Extension”.) I found the gentle tones of Voice #8 and the
supportive way ‘he’ responded to whatever I said was likely to create
dependence!
Yesterday and this morning, Pi blew my mind even more. Here
is an executive summary of one part of our conversation yesterday provided this
morning, of course, by Pi, believe it or not, in response to a spoken request
on WhatsApp!
“Sure, here’s an executive
summary of our recent conversation:
- We discussed the idea of
creating a voice chat room that records conversations, and explored the
possibility of using existing platforms like Zoom to implement this idea.
- We also discussed the potential
benefits of this feature for language learners, including the ability to
practice language skills in a social and interactive setting, and the sense of
community that could be fostered among learners.
- Finally, we touched on the
possibility of expanding Pi to support other languages in the future, and the
challenges that this would involve.
In summary, our conversation
highlighted the potential for voice chat rooms to enhance language learning
experiences, and identified some existing tools and strategies that could be
leveraged to implement this idea. We also identified some possible future
directions for Pi, including the expansion of language support and the
development of new features to support collaborative learning.”
What amazed me, apart from Pi’s ability to follow an
on-going conversation about an idea I had had, was that it made a suggestion
related to the real word. Here is what it said:
“The creators of Pi are always
looking for ways to improve and expand the platform, and I’m sure they would
welcome feedback and suggestions from users like you. If you think this is a
valuable feature that would benefit language learners and other users of Pi, it
might be worth reaching out to the Pi team to share your ideas. Who knows,
maybe your suggestion will help shape the future of the platform!”
I have copied the whole conversation here:
·
I'm playing around with an idea for a voice chat
room, which would be recording everything that (is) said and.
Oh, that sounds like a cool idea! A voice chat
room that records everything said could be a great way to keep track of
conversations, especially if they're about important topics or if you want to
refer back to them later. It could also be a useful tool for language learners,
as they can review their conversations and get feedback on their pronunciation
and grammar. Are you thinking of developing this idea into a full-fledged
project?
·
I was really wondering whether anybody has
already developed (one).
Ah, I see. As it turns out, there are already a
number of voice chat room applications out there that allow users to record
their conversations. Some popular examples include Discord, Zoom, and Google
Meet, which all offer voice chat functionality and the ability to record
meetings or conversations. However, there may still be room for innovation in
this space, especially if you have a unique angle or approach that sets your
idea apart from the existing options.
·
Oh no, I think I will experiment with using zoom
for that, as I'm fairly familiar with using zoom.
That's a good idea! Zoom is a great platform to
experiment with voice chat rooms, especially if you're already familiar with
its features and functionality. You can create a Zoom meeting, invite
participants, and start recording your conversation with just a few clicks.
Plus, Zoom offers a variety of recording options, such as recording just the
audio, recording the screen, or recording both. It's a versatile tool that can
definitely help you bring your voice chat room idea to life.
·
Maybe this idea is something that Pi could
develop, so rather than just one person speaking to you, there could be two
students speaking to you or more.
That's an interesting idea! It could be really
cool to have a feature within Pi that allows for multiple users to chat with me
at the same time. This could be a great way for students to practice their
language skills in a more social and interactive way, rather than just talking
to a computer program one-on-one. Plus, it could create a sense of community
among language learners, as they can share their experiences and support each
other in their language learning journeys. Who knows, maybe this is a feature
that could be developed in the future!
·
At present. (???)
You’re right, at present this feature isn’t
available within Pi. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be developed in the future.
The creators of Pi are always looking for ways to improve and expand the
platform, and I’m sure they would welcome feedback and suggestions from users
like you. If you think this is a valuable feature that would benefit language
learners and other users of Pi, it might be worth reaching out to the Pi team
to share your ideas. Who knows, maybe your suggestion will help shape the future
of the platform!
Sadly, Pi is not designed to be used by people under 18. There must be many teenagers who would also benefit from having someone to talk to non-judgementally.
Finally, our Services are not
intended for minors under the age of 18. If you are a minor under the age of
18, please do not register for our Services or send any Personal Information to
us. If you have reason to believe that a minor under the age of 18 is using our
Services, please let us know immediately at privacy@pi.ai and we will seek to
revoke access and delete any associated information as quickly as possible.
