Trump Got You Down? There's Hope.

For Americans feeling anxiety over the state of the nation, a new chat bot is here to help.

Meet "Hope," a Siri-like politically minded bot built to hear out concerns about President Donald Trump and offer advice for what to do about it.

Through a series of interactive text messages, Hope aims to act as a "personal political adviser" that users can discuss the latest news and explore options for action.

CNN:  Trump got you down? There's Hope.

Actually, the Rockhouse thinks people need less politics rather than more but I'll continue with this to discover the aspect they consider to be Hope.


Hope can coach you through a conversation with a family member about a divisive political issue, provide information about contacting a member of Congress, provide the location of a local demonstration or offer language to share a message on social media.

The application was built in response to Trump's actions on issues like climate change, immigration and LGBTQ rights, creators said.

- CNN

OK, there could be real Hope in that since we know already it's almost impossible to talk to people who are strongly supportive of Trump.


Hope is specifically designed for self-defense.

Hope's launch comes at a time when companies and organizations are increasingly using forms of chat bots and artificial intelligence to serve users. Apple introduced iPhone users to the "personal assistant" Siri in 2010. Last year, an SMS-based program called HelloVote connected voters will polling places and information about voter registration. And CNN offers chat programs on Facebook, Line and Kik to engage with viewers.

Hope's creators are aiming for expansive uses of the technology, which promises to be conversational and, through machine learning, become more tailored to each individual user.

"Siri doesn't have a point of view of what you should be doing. But Hope does," said Hendler. "Hope's your adviser. But it's also your friend."

- CNN

While my vision of Hope doesn't include robos as my personal friends, their vision of what Hope does or should do works well insofar as the driver for it is the unity which comes up frequently in any Rockhouse view of Hope.

Zen Yogi:  why can't we all just get along?

We can get along, Yogi, and the Rockhouse sees that as the finest Hope of all.