Donald Sherman orders a pizza using a talking computer, Dec 4, 1974

Every year, the researchers, students, and technology users who make up the community of the Michigan State University Artificial Language Laboratory celebrate the anniversary of the first use of a speech prosthesis in history: the use by a man with a communication disorder to order a pizza over the telephone using a voice synthesizer. This high-tech sociolinguistic experiment was conducted at the Lab on the evening of December 4, 1974. Donald Sherman, who has Moebius Syndrome and had never ordered a pizza over the phone before, used a system designed by John Eulenberg and J. J. Jackson incorporating a Votrax voice synthesizer, a product of the Federal Screw Works Co. of Troy, Michigan. The inventor of the Votrax voice synthesizer was Richard Gagnon from Birmingham, MI.
The event was covered at the time by the local East Lansing cable news reporter and by a reporter from the State News. About seven years later, in 1981, a BBC production team produced a documentary about the work of the Artificial Language Laboratory and included a scene of a man with cerebral palsy, Michael Williams, ordering a pizza with a newer version of the Lab's speech system. This second pizza order became a part of the documentary, which was broadcast throughout the U.S. as part of the "Nova" science series and internationally as part of the BBC's "Horizon" series.
In January, 1982, the Nova show on the Artificial Language Lab was shown for the first time. The Artificial Language Lab held a premiere party in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building for all the persons who appeared in the program plus all faculty members of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and their families. The Domino's company generously provided free pizzas for all the guests.
The following December, Domino's again provided pizzas for a party, again held at the Communication Arts building, to commemorate the first ordering of a pizza eight years earlier. The Convocation was held thereafter every year through 1988, each year receiving pizzas through the generous gift of Domino's.
A Communication Enhancement Convocation was held in 1999, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first pizza order.In addition to Dominos's contribution of pizzas, the Canada Dry Bottling Co. of Lansing provided drinks.The Convocations resumed in 2010 through 2012, when Dr. John Eulenberg advanced to Professor Emeritus status.
At each event, in addition to faculty and students, the convocation guests included local dignitaries from the MSU board of trustees and from the Michigan state legislature. Stevie Wonder, whose first talking computer and first singing computer were designed at the Artificial Language Lab, made telephone appearances and spoke with the youngsters using Artificial Language Lab technology through their
school district special education programs. MSU icons such as the football team, Sparty, and cheer leaders made appearances as well.
Now, through KZbin, we can relive this historical moment and take a thoughtful look back at 40 years of progress in the delivery of augmentative communication technology to persons with disabilities.

[@emmettkrantz1520]

"Hello I would like to order a pizza" "No" "Why" "Because you are John Madden"

[@hecko-yes]

aeiou

[@livvy94]

+Emmett Krantz aeiou

[@RamtroStudios]

aeiou?

[@bonbonpony]

"It's you again, Steven Hawking?" :q

[@sioux22]

Hoses!

[@anonymousmobster2444]

"Ok. We just didn't understand what was going on he-" "I'D LIKE TO ORDER A PEE-TSAH."

[@alexknip]

Kraftwerk members trying to order a pizza

[@LuigiElettrico]

I'd like to order a pizza.... STOP RADIOACTIVITYYYYY :D

[@Pedro1745]

but how would ralf prefer the delivery, by sending it on a car down the autobahn, getting it from station to station back to düsselsdorf city or on a bike on the tour de france?

[@MarquisDeSang]

Stephan Hawkins trying to order under age hookers.

[@jeenkzk5919]

It helped the receiver of the caller to explain what was going on. Few people had heard a voice like that at the time

[@EberKlaushartinger]

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974), Kraftwerk - Ananassymphonie (1973)

[@TimBowers]

@@EberKlaushartinger Hardly 'everyone' could be expected to understand. I imagine a lot of places would hang up even these days.

[@finnegan6464]

@@EberKlaushartinger because everybody on the west coast listened to an obscure west german music group

[@bethjohnston1476]

If only we could track down that pizza guy and give him some sort of reward.

[@bonbonpony]

Like a pizza? :J

[@owllymannstein7113]

Gonna be honest, he sounds like he would be awful at making pizza.

[@LNERMallard]

He's probably dead now.

[@CathalCoolkirky]

His son who took over the shop got BTC for a pizza years later.......

[@walterbell7193]

Spaghettios someone born in the 2020s is probably dead now

[@jakekemper2296]

People in the 70s were sure laid back

[@Certifiable]

Dude, weed and sex was plentiful. 😂

[@NotMe35971]

@@Certifiable I think LSD was the main thing

[@raymondkitchen6137]

It was the mid '70's, so......COCAINE!!!

[@briankelly9347]

@@raymondkitchen6137 no

[@NotACutie]

@@raymondkitchen6137 Coke doesn't make you laid back

[@sisyphusvasilias3943]

"Can you spell that?" "Yes" ..... "Would you spell that please" I FFF lost it

[@aidenberesford4232]

I love that poor guy that keeps getting interrupted

[@QUIZFILTER]

Ironic & funny when one of the first things the computer says is "Please be patient...." as it cuts the Pizza guy's sentence off... that part makes me laugh every time.

[@JohnEulenberg]

Today is the 39th anniversary of the event shown in this historic video. Thanks to everyone who took the dream of augmentative communication and, over the years have delivered it to people throughout the world who needed it. Let's celebrate with a.....pizza!

[@way2muchNFO]

+John Eulenberg were you the guy in the black rims? congrats on this bold step for PizzaS

[@enigma6798]

Professor Eulenberg, was this a predecessor pro-type system to the one Steven Hawking's is currently using? I am doing a research on predecessor systems to his current system. Thank you.

[@user-ix9oe7cc2r]

B

[@swgclips03]

Pizza time

[@kuchibanga]

Apparently pizza prank calls arent new

[@xatlaswolf2339]

Not a prank a test

[@theskeletonboi]

I believe he's referring to the first 3 calls being hung up.

[@user-mt7kj4hq7h]

666 😘

[@Thevamp1reking]

Дочь Дьявола 🤡

[@user-ix9oe7cc2r]

Jndunedunxenuexnuxeunxenucnuecnucehnecnh siu mkkkkkkkk

[@daggettooo]

DAAAAISY, DAAAAAISY! GIVE ME YOUR ANSWER, DO!

[@SwoteOffical]

Please I. Going half crazy

[@raymondkitchen6137]

I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

[@gripes5060]

I like this reference

[@JacksonBegleymusicguy]

it won't be a STUEEYLISH MAREEJ. i CEHHHNT aFFORD A CAEREEJ.

[@arcader1]

Good reference

[@doublem5679]

If it wasnt for these people we wouldnt be where we are technologically. So amazing.

[@YFNGamer1]

He must have been high as fuck to not be phased by a computer ordering pizza.

[@yungggiraffe]

I love how the guy taking the order just says “oki”

[@CezarPokorski]

My favorite part is: - Say goodbye, Alexander - Goodbye, Alexander.

[@yee634]

Cezar Pokorski Yeah, Alexander's such a joker! 😁

[@picolascage7762]

Classic!

[@deftcoleman0552]

-Say goodbye Caroline. -Goodbye, Caroline. -She is a gem.

[@awesomeeliam7882]

@@deftcoleman0552 Portal 2.

[@daggettooo]

I‘m laughing so hard on how the computer cuts the second guy off several times. The audacity! 🤣

[@AviationRatings]

Lol ikr

[@kingharryannis]

$6.25 in 1974 is a bit expensive.

[@phil2768]

Yeah, the pizza was only actually $2 plus 75c per minute taking the order 😁

[@ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

oh god this reminds me of the time me and a friend who had that once voice synthesizer for the Commodore 64 (the one that used the SID chip) ordered a pizza. It was an awful speech synthesis system as far as over the phone went so we had to phrase it like "Helloh Can we order a pitzsah?". Good times.

[@Dan-TechAndMusic]

You mean the SAM speech synthesizer? That one still is better than Microsoft Sam.

[@hecko-yes]

+Daniël's Tech & Music Channel True. Nothing beats DECtalk, though.

[@danieltruax7005]

Macintalk!

[@arcader1]

Lol

[@jaxonbrinkerhoff3228]

Remember

[@fatmeatball]

*I'D LIKE* *TO ORDER A PIZZA*

[@anonymousmobster2444]

I love how the pizza guy sounds so tired and confused

[@luketheduke5521]

None of them would believe if we said there would be hundreds of thousands people viewing this on their MicroComputers through their wireless sound emitting devices

[@gabrielstradivarius1977]

Prank call in the name of science

[@Napsteraspx]

Shockingly good sound recording dude

[@ItsMisterBluray]

I have moebius syndrome, and this is great. I was born in 1977 and this was just 3 years before I was born!

[@aoinomizu]

It's amazing to see how far we've come, and where it all started. "Maybe someday we'll all use computers to communicate" - it's odd to think there was a time when we didn't. I can't even imagine what Mr. Sherman felt having accomplished something he might never have thought possible. Congrats on your 36 year anniversary of making history. Just another moment that makes me proud to be a Spartan. It was very nice meeting you today, Thanks for sharing, Jorden

[@WorldScott]

Congrats to you John Eulenberg and Jerome Jackson on being the first to develop and implement a prosthesis system that could actually be used in a real world setting outside of a lab! Fantastic!

[@deftcoleman0552]

Who would have thought that 38 years later, Domino’s would have an app featuring a Japanese pop star with a computerized voice?

[@theallknowingsause8940]

I love how scared the 2nd guy was when he explained that he was using a device to help him speak then the guy operating the computer deliberately interrupted him a couple times as payback lol

[@Bemfactor98]

I don't believe those were deliberate interruptions. He was already keying in commands for the next statement, and the time lag of entering the command on a 1974 computer overlapped with the man speaking real time on a landline telephone.

[@bigjoe4770]

"Would you like to order a pizza?" "JooOOOOoooOOhn MAAADDeeeEEEEN!"

[@MsMysticworld]

What I learned about this video: Trust the process. Be patient, 'coz you'll never know if you will be part of the history so don't hung up the phone. But seriously, if all those who cannot speak/talk today can afford the modern alexander gadget imagine how many people will be at ease. I have one autistic brother who cannot totally speak, he just hums, he is pwd, and it's so hard for me and my family to communicate with him, sometimes he is frustrated, sometimes irritated, and we cannot figure if he is hungry or he wants something. This is just a random thought... Thank goodness to all those people who are doing their best for not giving up, trying something innovative, and being creative. Am sure the next generation of creativity will help improve the society and humanity. "Teamwork makes the dream work." - RM of BTS

[@SEYMOURTUCHAS]

that was an awesome video. I see Domino's blew it back then as they do today. pizza was expensive back then too I see.

[@arricat5e311]

Ralf Hütter orders a pizza

[@rainanewman3006]

today it's like, screw talking, let's make singing holograms!

[@hecko-yes]

True.

[@cjmurray6096]

Well, we already basically perfected talking.

[@anonymousmobster2444]

@@cjmurray6096 We perfected language when we invented the words, "yeet," "whom'st'd've," and "bruh"

[@think2086]

When the pizza employee tried to explain himself for hanging up on the computer earlier, the computer cut him off rudely and angrily sounding. Haha. Perfect.

[@Desteny6]

The video itself is pretty interesting and cool, but the song at the end is hilariously good for this topic :D

[@MrTangent]

Mind blowing. I was 1 year old when this was done. Now any Macintosh could do this with ease, but imagine the people hearing this then.

[@hotaruishere2133]

I would be so scared! I think I would have nightmares for eons after a situation like this! I would be so worried that the world was being taken over by technological alien overlords or something!!!

[@AllianceMigration]

Domino's pizzas are cheaper now than in 1974.

[@raymondkitchen6137]

That wasn't Domino's that they ordered though. Dominos was the first place but they hung up on the guy ordering, so they ordered from somewhere else.

[@xaenon]

they taste like it too.

[@Synthonica_the_groovebot]

The way how he said "hello" oh mah god so adorable

[@LordXelous]

The pizza dude sounds so exacerbated by this... "Can you Spell that?"... "yes"... pregnant pause... lol....

[@0xggbrnr]

$6.25 for a pizza! Man, I wish!

[@jvolstad]

I can get a medium pepperoni pizza from Domino's for only $5.99 as a carry out special. 😸

[@BoomRoomFive]

+Gregory Thompson Jr. How about if you made $1.25/hour?

[@anonimenkolbas1305]

I got a large pizza (16 inch) for less than $5.

[@cosmokramer1987]

In 1974 $6.25 was a lot of money. That's about $30.00 today.

[@user-ok8yq6nc6x]

Ever heard of inflation?

[@CassetteMaster]

Quite interesting to see, and I love the old style computerized voice.

[@giamaica]

GREETINGS PROFESSOR FALKEN! SHALL WE PLAY A GAME?

[@benn1181]

I am pretty sure it's the lag of the computer turning the typed words into audible speech. Remember this is 1974 computing technology. Calculators were still a big deal.

[@runforitman]

2:57 oh wow I didn't realise is that how long it took to generate the voice synthesis?

[@jeopardy60611]

In this day and age, delivery orders are done for many places through a website or a mobile app. So it doesn't matter if you're speech-impaired. But this video dates back to the 70s, and everything is done by voice phone calls. I actually prefer doing it online, because it's easy for me to key in an order, and faster than talking to a person, and it's in writing, so I know they won't hear me wrong.

[@pcaetano7527]

amazing history, compared to what we have today we are light years into the future.

[@vellizz]

"it may not be very long before we'll all be using computers to communicate" you guys think she was right?

[@Norsilca]

Nope, never used one in my life!

[@NuGanjaTron]

They could've at least videotaped this historic pizza when it was delivered and consumed. Or even preserved it in the Computer History Museum in Mountain View!

[@UnchainedEruption]

That minimum-wage worker must have freaked listening to a robot's voice. History in the making.

[@tangyspongesauce]

"please be patient" Types with peck and hunt. -.-

[@AyyyGabagool]

I KNOW WTF i WAS DYING

[@leavewe]

@@AyyyGabagool he is not part of the computer science team, he's just a regular person who probably at that time in history had little experience with typing.

[@freshoutofcrabs]

​@Leavewe - Possibly, though typing predates computers by quite a while. The typewriter was invented in 1878; nearly a century before this recording was made.

[@badreality2]

They state that he is disabled.

[@mrmaniac3]

freshoutofcrabs still, not everybody typed. Typing is usually have been a thing a writer, dictator, or secretary would do, I think.

[@marcoantonioperez52]

this is amazing. AMAZING. I just watched the new google assistant feature that makes appointments and the entire thing. So I remember I once watch this. So great, so amazing...

[@Cashpots]

It does seem a pity they chose a two fingered typist for such an historic call!

[@MrTangent]

Cashpot He was actually handicapped.

[@Felamine]

The guy typing had a legit condition called Moebius syndrome, which causes facial paralysis leaving the patient unable to speak clearly or at all. I think they wanted to have a person with a real disability to type on the computer, to demonstrate a proof of concept that the system is for people with disabilities.

[@rwalkman10]

@@Felamine fucking ace man, they had covered all their bases.

[@penti8345]

not gonna lie i’m a gen z so i’m used to voice synthesis being a thing but if i were working at a pizza place in the 70’s and heard this on the other line i’d probably be pretty terrified but also simultaneously amazed. i really wish i could have been there to be amazed by this kind of thing rather than being so used to it all

[@Fiddlesticks86]

LOL "Say goodbye, Alexander" ........ enough time passes for a cup of coffee and taking a sh*t ....... "Goodbye Alexander" xD

[@FallophoricDream]

still better than SIRI

[@mrmaniac3]

Because it's operated by a person :p

[@Xenoshey]

Yep

[@kasel1979krettnach]

Siri is really a mess

[@spartan113ish]

Welcome to the place where you will buy, chiz pizza.

[@j0elyb3an]

"Dominos, hello?" "𝚑ë𝚕𝙸ô"

[@Synthonica_the_groovebot]

That hello was really cute tho

[@dylanbarnes9195]

13 years ago the computer was singing DAISY.

[@jeopardy60611]

I was fascinated with synthetic speech when I was a kid, as I discovered the TRS-80 Voice Synthesizer in the late 70s. It paved the way for the Voice Internet Service that I am doing now that reads email and web pages over the phone. The Domino's guys obviously hadn't come across a person ordering a pizza with a speech synthesizer, and didn't understand they had to wait for the caller to type stuff out.

[@qtea3.149]

Revolutionary talking computer can recreate HUMAN SPEECH. Lets order a pizza with it

[@freedomfreedomfreedom]

His patience shows that the last man has a kind heart.

[@thisismyname007]

Joshua: Shall we play a game? David Lightman: Oh! Jennifer: [giggles] I think it missed him. David Lightman: Yeah. Weird isn't it? Jennifer: Yeah. David Lightman: [typing] Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War? Joshua: Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of chess? [Jennifer laughs] David Lightman: [typing] Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War. Joshua: Fine.

[@latasha66]

$6.25 !! THAT was amazing.

[@joeblankenship377]

Yeah. Can't get a large pizza delivered for less than 20 now.

[@rxhx]

The first soundboard prank.

[@corneliusthegreat6794]

I did not know that text to speech voice was that old

[@ricargonv]

a nice moment in history, thanks for the vid

[@o4fakseik]

"Say goodbye, Alexander" :D

[@dalekenjarvis]

Freaking Brilliant! Kudos to the pizza dude who thought out out what was going on!

[@KirbyHenry10]

I'm surprised the pizza guy could even hear the order over the sound of all those nerds patting themselves on the back during the call

[@Chewychaca]

The way he was interrupting him had me ROFLing.

[@DrewberTravels]

Pizza place down the street from me has a good sized pizza for $5.36. We live in amazing times.

[@joeblankenship377]

Part of me really wanted it to turn into a prank call. The computer says something crazy, and all those guys bust out laughing.

[@ManuelRF]

And today we just hate robot calls.

[@Yaddlezap]

So much tension.

[@fantastron]

That guy in glasses - is this Hackerman from "Kung Fury"?

[@kalobyte]

kung fury was made as compilation of 80's in music, games, fashion and films computer nerds looked like this one and hackerman was just copied

[@fantastron]

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

[@bubbleheadft]

I can't imagine taking that call, lol.

[@goldkirby]

Is this where the Game Grumps "cheese pizza" joke came from?

[@hecko-yes]

No?

[@RonWolfHowl]

oh those dastardly rapscallions, discussing child pornography to no end

[@GENATARi]

*and

[@SodaPolycarbonate]

Wow, Moonbase Alpha looked kinda janky in 1974.

[@tobischmobi]

kraftwerk ordering their pizza be like:

[@leonardovila2812]

And here we are, talking with chat gpt in year 2023

[@8lifeisamovie8]

It's just like in Home Alone when Kevin tricked the pizza delivery boy by rewinding the film in the VCR 😄

[@RobKaiser_SQuest]

"Where should I deliver it to?" "MSU computer centre..." "Yes of course, but what room?" LOL

[@matty6598]

I had no idea people would be doing pranks like this all the way back in 1974

[@disobeydisconform3109]

the first Arnold prank call ever!!! :)

[@thecianinator]

The part about this that struck me the most was the 7-digit phone number. Phone numbers haven't had seven digits since I was in kindergarten.

[@dj_dexterdark_x942]

Google: Have a IA with very good expression's, and orders a haircut. Talking computer from 1974: Hold my beer

[@saksham_saraswat]

Siri will be proud of Alexander”The computer”

[@turborobocam]

"Tuesday 4 December 1974?" When I saw that, my antennae immediately deployed. Um... the third was on a WEDNESDAY. Or, maybe, did this all happen on Tuesday, December the THIRD? Was it even a pizza pie? Maybe the first order was for bagels. Did it even happen? Once snared, it's difficult to escape the shadow of doubt...

[@Lotte_Da]

Advance prank call. So advance that they actually order a pizza

[@pauloeduardo9604]

Como Técnico eletrônico, fico impressionado como naquela ocasião os sintetizadores digitais de voz já eram realidade.... Não eram simples conversores AD analógico /digital. Esse experimento foi feito no dia e ano do meu nascimento. Incrível.

[@AvanaVana]

Computer: “Please ask questions which I can answer with yes or no” Pizza guy: who are we delivering to? and please give me detailed instructions on how to find your specific location

[@Jackywhaler]

A large pizza for 6 dollars? Amazing.

[@MrC0MPUT3R]

That's almost $40 in 2023

[@winterroadspokenword4681]

I love how long the delay is after the guy punches in key commands slower than my grandma operating an iPhone.

[@1960frj]

I like this video, it is surely a piece of history. That pizza sounds yummy. But at the same time, I feel bad for people with a speech impairment.

[@gnamp]

'Handicapper' is right- his responses were diabolically slow. He didn't seem to have had much keyboard time under his belt anyway...

[@StuffedLlamaYT]

Lyrics (somehow) : "Mr Mike's, how may i help you? "*I am using.*" "*a special device to help me.* "*to communicate."* "Oh, Okay!" "Sorry, we didn't understand what was going on-" "*Please be patient. While i prepare. My responses.*" "Okay. We didn't understand what was going on here. It's just that-" "*I'd like, . . To order a pizza*" "Okay its alright We'll take your-" "*A Large pizza please.*" "Okay, sixteen inch?" "sixteen inch?" "*. . . Yes.*" "Okay. what would you like on it?" "*Pepperoni and Mushrooms.*" "Okay, pepperoni and muchrooms" "anything else?" "*And some Ham.*" "Ham, okay, too-" "*And sausages too.*" "Ham, and sausage. anything else?" "*No. thank you.*" "Okay. now this is for a pickup or a delivery?" "*Would you please phrase. That question. So that i can. Answer it with. "YES" or "NO" ?*" "Okay so is this for a delivery?" "*. . . Yes." "Okay.." "where should we deliver it to?" "*The MSU. Computer Center.*" "Okay. Where in the Computer center? what room?" "*. . . Room. 405.* "Uh, Need a name on this, Person to deliver it to?-" "*The Computer Center is just East of the Administration Building.*" "Um.. we need to know-[BEEP] who to deliver it to." "Okay?" "*. . . Donald Sherman.*" "Sherman." "Could you spell that?" "*. . . Yes.*" "Would you spell that please?" "*. . . S. H. E. R. M. A. N,* "s, h, e, r, m, a, n. Sherman. okay," "Could i have a phone number please?" "Where we can reach you?" "*. . . 3-5-3-5-3-9-9*" "3-5-3-5-3-9-9 ?" "*. . . Yes.* " "Okay, The price on the pizza is $6.25." "The Delivery time is presently between half an hour and forty-five minutes." "And we accept no personal checks." "*Thank you. . Very Much.*" "and i'll call back to immediatelly confirm the order Ok?" "*. . . Yes.*" "Ok, thank you." "*Good Bye.*" [CLAPS]

[@die-sas7462]

you did it, you crazy soab, thanks

[@StuffedLlamaYT]

@@die-sas7462 no problem. Heheh

[@my4trackmachine]

$6.25 for a large pizza DAMN THATS A GOOD DEAL!!!

[@GenuflectingRotation]

my4trackmachine inflation

[@oldtwinsna8347]

$33 in 2019 money. Can't imagine the last time I paid that much for a pizza, even at a gourmet Italian restaurant they don't cost that much!

[@MrC0MPUT3R]

@@oldtwinsna8347 ~$38 now in 2023 😭

[@glumpy6079]

I'm sorry. I can't do that Dave...

[@stonelenny]

Just amazing.

[@LuigiElettrico]

See? Many things were invented long before someone did that on KZbin. :P BTW first I've thought of when hearing the voice: Kraftwerk - Die Mensch Maschine. What language was that synth programmed in?