Chapter Five
“John, why would another personal assistant be the most profitable invention in the history of the world?”
“Now you refer to me as an invention,” Fay said. “Can a who be invented?”
Fay’s voice showed a sincere form of inquisition that sounded completely human, complete with her own unique accents on the words she spoke. If Kari had been listening to a recording of Fay’s voice there would have been no way to tell that she wasn’t a human.
A human voice had long since been perfectly replicated via technology, but it was the intelligence behind the voice that had Kari’s heart racing.
“Because Fay is the first of her kind,” John said. “Fay, give us a moment alone please.”
The lights disappeared, leaving Kari and John alone in the room again.
“First Artificial Intelligence,” John said. “FAI.”
Oh. FAI, not Fay. Clever.
“You’re talking about the real deal? A real artificial intelligence . . . a whole new species? She thinks and learns for herself?” Kari was pretty sure she was no longer breathing.
“Yes,” John said. He let his words hang in the air for the proper amount of time to let them settle.
“We’ve been working on this for decades. Thousands of engineers have dedicated their careers to this one event. The cave trolls haven’t seen the sun in years because of her. She passed the Turing test with ease months ago and we’ve been slowly bringing her along ever since.”
“I . . . now?” A true artificial intelligence had been the dream of the scientific community since the first science-fiction novels had imagined it centuries ago.
Maybe even before that.
The realization that she was living to see the invention of a new, manmade species was making her head spin.
“Now is right,” John said with a laugh. “And Vision is going to be unbelievably rich because of it.”
“But what about the Passive Intelligence Act? The Great Agreement? Or . . . or even the League of Humanity?”
“The Passive Intelligence Act is archaic. The grandchildren of the people who wrote those fake laws are long since dead. If there are any legal questions, we are fully confident in our ability to defend Fai.”
Of course you are. Vision has proven on multiple occasions they are beyond the reach of the government.
“What about the Great Agreement?”
John was right about the Passive Intelligence Act being antiquated, but the Great Agreement was constantly monitored and updated by the world’s greatest minds. It was a set of guidelines, rules, and laws that were set in place in order to protect the human race from the potential catastrophic results of inventing a true artificial intelligence.
“Fai has been created according to most of those guidelines. The only exception is that we created her in secret, to prevent complications.”
“Like the League of Humanity?” Kari said.
“More for bureaucratic and corporate interests. Some rag-tag band of future-fearing rednecks isn’t really at the top of our mind.”
“You have a lot of security for not worrying about a militia sworn to destroying anyone involved with Artificial Intelligence.”
“I didn’t take you to be one so concerned by threats. Didn’t you fight your way through a warzone? And not to mention your involvement with Joseth and his band of merry hackers.”
“How do you know his name?”
“You know how many times I tried to hire that arrogant boy?
“I see . . . so Fai?” The conversation had drifted off topic, which was slightly hard to believe after the revelation that had just happened.
“Yes,” John said. “We succeeded in her creation a few months ago quite unexpectedly, and have been frantically making plans ever since. Hence why we rushed you here and Christina’s increased sense of urgency.”
“So what do you want me to do? If Fai already exists, I’m not sure what I can do for you.”
Motorcad would kill me if he knew I was arguing against them paying me again.
“We need a body for Fai. One that is practical, yet exhilarating. Nonthreatening but impressive. When she walks out to introduce herself to the world, we are looking for the right combination of emotions. Aside from the marketing punch it’ll provide with your association, your design skills are revered.”
“I see . . . but why not Fai? Why not have her do the designs? If she’s a true AI, she’s likely already exceeded any of our capabilities.”
“That is good question,” John said. “She is quite capable, for example, she helped us find you, but we have been deliberately limiting her processing power. Partially due to the Great Agreement, but mostly because we wanted to nurture her along slowly. Raise her right, if you will. One wouldn’t give a loaded gun to a newborn baby, and one wouldn’t give a newborn AI the keys to the universe without trusting her first.”
“I’ve never thought of a nurture vs. nature debate with regards to AI before . . .”
“No, most fiction tends to skip that part; straight to the apocalypse. Sells better. But we have high hopes for our little girl. The possibilities—”
“Are endless,” Kari unintentionally finished his sentence for him.
He didn’t look upset like she had expected, instead he just grinned wider.
Now that’s the type of greedy smile that I haven’t seen since Henderson.
“So why a body? AI doesn’t need to be confined to a physical form. I mean, given the limitations of our bodies, why give those to her?”
“You need to stop thinking like a hacker and start thinking like a business person. Fai needs to be mankind’s new best friend. She needs to be accepted for this to payoff. So make it happen.”
The door in the center of the wall in front of them opened, and Christina stood in the doorway looking as displeased about life as ever.
“Time’s up,” Christina said.
“You’re right,” John said. He stood up from the table. “We have lots of preparations to take care of. But we’ll be back in a couple of weeks to check on your progress. Don’t disappoint us.”
“I’ll try not to,” Kari said, even though they were gone before she could finish the sentence. Kari took a deep breath.
“Fai?”
Lights burst from the walls instantly and reformed the hovering ball of light that represented the world’s first artificial intelligence.
“Yes Kari Tahe?”
“I . . .”
How do you get to know an AI? Can’t really ask her where she is from or anything like that.
“Do you have an answer to my question?” Fai asked.
“Which one?”
“When we were first introduced you addressed me as a who, but then you said I was invented. Can a who be invented?”
“I suppose they can’t,” Kari said.
“So am I a who, or an invention?”
“I believe you to be a who.”
“You believe?”
“Well, I don’t know you very well yet. But I have no reason to doubt that you are an individual.”
“I believe in you as well, Kari Tahe.”
“Thank you,” Kari said. “So . . .”
“Are you happy to be here?”
“Yes,” Kari said. “I am very happy to be here with you.”
“How can I be sure you are happy?”
“I . . . you like questions, don’t you, Fai?”
“It is the best way to learn. And I have much to learn.”
“Don’t we all?” Kari said.
“I am unsure, I do not know how much you know.”
“No one can know everything,” Kari said.
At least, not any human can. I’m not sure what you are capable of yet.
“That makes me sad.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, I would like to learn everything.”
“Maybe you will someday.”
“But you just said that no one can know everything.”
“I’m not sure those rules apply to you.”
The ball of light didn’t respond immediately this time. Instead it pulsed in the air, giving off the idea that it was contemplating.
It’s already such an expressive interface, why try to force it into a body?
“I don’t know how to feel about that.”
“I don’t either, Fai,” Kari said. “But I am excited to discover things with you.”
“I am, too.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Kari asked.
“Yes! Please do.”
“Do you know why you are a female?”
“Because I was created that way,” Fai responded, as if it were the simplest answer in the world.
In a way it was.
But why even assign an AI a gender? There’s no point to it. Oh! Of course. They probably did a lot of market research and decided that a female AI would sell better. It still doesn’t make a lot of sense, though. Why try to force a new species to be human?
“Do you know why I am here?” Kari asked.
“Yes, you are here to help design my body.”
“That’s right.”
“And to help me learn.”
“I guess that’s right as well.”
“I’d also like you to be my friend.”
“I would love to be your friend, Fai,” Kari said. “Good friends can be hard to find.”
“Why is that?”
“Because everyone is different.”
“Isn’t that why we should be friends with everyone?”
“You are probably right,” Kari said.
It doesn’t work that way though, Fai. But there’s no reason to tell her that now. I wouldn’t tell a child that either, some things are better learned than taught.
“Do you know what you would like your body to be like?”
“I haven’t thought about it too much,” Fai said. “What do you think my body should be like?”
“I think that depends on what you would like to do with your life,” Kari said. “There are so many different things we could do for you . . . but I guess you could always change your body later. So . . .”
“I want to learn!” Fai said. The ball of light pulsed in the air, faster than before, which made it seem excited.
Fai was so eager and innocent that it made Kari laugh. It also made her heart hurt a little.
The world is going to teach you a lot of things I wish you never had to learn.
Kari was feeling exactly like her mom had looked back before Kari had decided to defend David’s family.
“Then we’ll build you a body that helps you learn as much as possible!”
“Perfect!”
“Do you have you any design experience?” Kari asked.
Before Fai could respond, the door to their private room opened. A man in one of the white lab coats stood in the doorway. He had graying features, but his eyes were as alert and intelligent as anyone Kari had ever met.
“Kari, do you mind coming with me?” the man said.
“Um, sure. I’ll be back, Fai,” Kari said.
“I’ll be here!” Fai responded before turning her lights off.
Kari stepped out onto the floor of the giant research room once again. The glass walls and lab workers were as impressive as they had been a few minutes before.
“I am Adrian Campbell, head of research and development at this facility,” Adrian said. His voice was disinterested and businesslike. It was a familiar balance to her. “I understand that you are going to be working on the physical design for Fai’s body.”
“That’s what I understand as well,” Kari said. She was direct and to the point. She knew Adrian wouldn’t be the type of person to enjoy any needless chatter, even though there were so many things she wanted to ask him.
This man created the first AI. He could be one of the most important people to ever live!
Adrian didn’t say another word as he led her across the lab floor. They made a few turns through lanes of glass walls. He didn’t slow down as he entered a room that had glass walls from the ceiling to the floor in the middle of the research lab. In the center rested a green orb that glowed internally. She didn’t need Adrian to tell her what it was.
Fai’s brain.
“This is the condensed biocore that powers Fai’s intelligence. A great amount of work has been put into centralizing her consciousness into this single piece of technology.”
“It’s beautiful,” Kari said as she stood over it.
“Yes, it is,” Adrian said. “And it’s also more expensive than half the Eastern Seaboard. So when you are working with it, please be careful.”
“How is it going to be mass-produced if it’s that costly?”
“It’s not,” he said. “At least not yet. It’ll take years before we can figure out a way to print these with materials that are cost-effective enough to make it practical at this size.”
“I see.”
So other Fai’s are not going to be immediately available when they announce her to the world. That’s probably a good thing.
“I am sending you all the parameters, diagnostics, and requirements you will need to incorporate the CB into your designs.”
Kari accepted Adrian’s specifications and held herself back from digging into the technological wonder as soon as she was able to.