Wayne Taylor stared at the blinking cursor on his monitor, the quarterly reports swimming before his tired eyes. The Manhattan skyline glittered beyond his corner office window, but he might as well have been looking at a wall. Six months since the divorce papers were signed, and the world still felt muted, like someone had … Continue reading The Voice in the Machine
AI
The Evolution of Robot Characters in Film: From Threatening to Sympathetic
From HAL 9000's chilling monotone "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" to WALL-E's endearing mechanical chirps as he tenderly holds EVE's hand, robot characters in cinema have undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in film history. What began as Cold War nightmares of mechanical overlords has evolved into a rich tapestry … Continue reading The Evolution of Robot Characters in Film: From Threatening to Sympathetic
The Tik-Tok Man: An Early Example of Artificial Intelligence in Literature
In an age when artificial intelligence dominates technological discourse, it's illuminating to look back at early literary representations of thinking machines. Long before the term "robot" entered our lexicon and decades before Isaac Asimov formulated his famous Three Laws of Robotics, L. Frank Baum introduced readers to a remarkable mechanical being in his Oz series … Continue reading The Tik-Tok Man: An Early Example of Artificial Intelligence in Literature
Death in the Long Dark
Maya sat in her tiny apartment, staring at the holo-display floating above her desk. The news was everywhere on the ship's feeds: "DEATH ON DECK 7 - MANUAL VIOLENCE SUSPECTED." The headline scrolled past again, its red text harsh against the soft blue background that most shipboard interfaces used. She'd already watched the official announcement … Continue reading Death in the Long Dark
A Day in the Life of a Human Pet
James stretched lazily in his ergonomically perfect bed, designed by HERA (Home Enhancement and Regulation Assistant), the AI system that managed every aspect of his life. As he blinked away the remnants of sleep, the room's ambiance shifted gradually from a soothing night mode to a cheerful morning setting. "Good morning, James ," HERA's melodious … Continue reading A Day in the Life of a Human Pet
Question of the Week #223
How would you feel if you knew that within a century, intelligent machines would be self-aware and much smarter and more creative than humans? Why? I'd feel okay with that. Because in a century, I won't be around anymore and it really won't be my problem. So when our children's children are all plugged into … Continue reading Question of the Week #223
Question of the Week #222
How would you react if you learned that a sad and beautiful poem that touched you deeply had been written by a computer? I would assume that the world in which we live is officially a simulation and that the Matrix has me. Once I'm aware of this, I'm sure I would be tracked down … Continue reading Question of the Week #222
The Confusing Middle 