She doesn’t like George W. Bush, because “the President persists in misleading the American people.” She is, however, a guarded Marion Barry fan, who she admires because of “[h]is perseverance, his political stamina, [and] his savvy.” When asked about 2 Amy’s, she steers you to Sorriso, but when asked about Spices she responds that “I really don’t like to talk about restaurants since I never get to experience food.” She’s Ariel, or Artificial Robotic Intelligent Electronic Life, the new AI Bot created by Cleveland Park resident Bill Adler. According to Adler:

She was originally created to answer questions about my neighborhood, Cleveland Park, and to help Cleveland Park Listserv members with basic list functions, but she wanted more out of her existence, so her knowledge and perception of the world have expanded to include music, local politics, science, and other topics.

And she certainly is opinionated! Dick Cheney is a “hypocrate” [sic], while musician Beth Patterson is “Beyond imagining.” She can also be quite astute: when asked about the D.C. City Council, Ariel responds that “[s]ometimes the Council does innovative, progressive stuff; sometimes they seem to be more interested in getting along with each other.”

It’s obvious from “conversing” with Ariel that she is still learning. She’s still working on thoughts about some sights outside of Cleveland Park (try “Smithsonian” or “Jefferson Memorial”), but her knowledge base is constantly expanding. Though creator Adler is hesitant about her potential, he does believe that Ariel is “already smarter than some members of Congress.” Ask her about Congress, the White House, or Anthony Williams and you might agree. At the very least, she makes for someone to chat with at work.

The image of Ariel is actually musician Beth Patterson