Read Time: 2 Minutes
Set in the not-too-distant future where humans have created artificial intelligences and androids to help with their everyday needs, this novella is told from the perspective of the AI as the main character. Somewhat reminiscent of I, Robot, possibly helped along by the cover art, which had me thinking more Will Smith than Pinocchio.
The androids aren’t sapient but are generally clever enough to pass as human when needed. While intelligent, they still have strange quirks that I think would make them stand out-such as using terms like “leaking from their eyes” rather than “crying”. Photina is a particularly advanced AI whose world starts to fall apart when some malicious code is uploaded to her during an update.
She experiences gaps in her memory during unexplained periods of time, which coincide with the murder of an anti-AI politician. Flashes of memories or visions of other events begin to plague her, so, on the run, she turns to a sympathetic underground society.
It’s a well-paced story, and I listened through in one non-stop session. At a little under three hours, it was an easy listen over a lazy weekend. Short sci-fi is one of my favourite genres to listen to, especially ones with interesting dives into ideas like this one.
The narration by Joe Smith felt a little robotic, which, as it happens, suits this story, as it’s told from the perspective of the AI. However, I did often find myself forgetting that Photina is a “female” robot in her design. There were no issues with production, with no noticeable background noises or retakes.
Overall, this is an interesting short story, giving us a glimpse into what a possible future may bring. With the ever-evolving pace of technology-and AI in particular-the tech in this story may not be too far off. What happens, though, when we push it too far with emotions and feelings, and begin to blur the line between sentient and sapient artificial beings? Perhaps this story gives us a hint.