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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#150: Machine, Learning

Computer technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, with increasingly powerful AI systems and algorithms influencing our daily lives. Many think that, soon enough, machines may become far more intelligent than humans. But what about computer consciousness?

As of today, it seems that no progress has been made in that sense, and that consciousness will stay exclusive to the human (and animal) domain. But what if, one day, robots could experience the complex sensations and emotions of humans? What would their ethics be?

Inspired by this fascinating subject, here are this week’s prompts:

This week's prompts

Write about a character who is convinced their computer is conscious.

Science Fiction – 34 stories

Write a story where an algorithm plays an important role.

Science Fiction – 27 stories

Write about a character who has access to a powerful new technology before anyone else.

Science Fiction – 25 stories

Write about a character, human or robot, who no longer wishes to obey instructions.

Kids – 56 stories

Write a story that either starts or ends with someone (or something) saying, “Please, don’t do it.”

Sad – 95 stories

Stories

“Foley's Phone” by Mike Panasitti

Submitted to Contest #150

Please, don’t do it. Despite imagining that his cell phone begs him for mercy, Foley Gaspers wants to mercilessly drown it.Foley wonders why the bathroom he uses in his mother’s house has not one, but two sinks. Two large, rectangular porcelain washbasins. The only sinks he used for the ten years before moving back in with his mom were part of the same stainless-steel unit as a prison cell toilet. When there were disciplinary issues, he’d be released from his quarters once a day for less than ten minutes to take a shower.&nbsp...

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“I can see you typing” by DM Pelley

Submitted to Contest #150

I Can See You Typing By DM Pelley Sharon113: Are you there? Cody0110: Yeah, I’m here. Just chatting with some friends. Sharon113: Do you have time to talk? Cody0110: Of course. I’m bored as usual lol. That’s how their conversations almost always started. Cody leaned forward in his huge gaming chair and tried to calm himself. In no way shape or form was he going to reveal that he had actually been waiting hours for Sharon113 to message him as he mindlessly scoured the net for anything to distract himself. Sharon113: I don’t want to tak...

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“The History of the Future” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #150

Mr. Forma’s eyes pointed in opposite directions behind his huge glasses. He was covered in a blanket and shivered as he spoke, a sickly smile on his face revealing his weird teeth. Other than being strangely unsettling, he was polite: he had apologized for the warmth of the room already.“In the future, people will worship the algorithm like they used to worship God.”I wiped the sweat off my brow. The heater was going full blast in the little apartment. I took a seat and drank another glass of lemonade.“You big on computers, Mr. Forma?”He smi...

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“The Proposal ” by Jeannette Miller

Submitted to Contest #150

Please, don’t do it. Jenny thought as George bent down on one knee. She looked away. She couldn’t bear to experience the embarrassment of what was about to happen. How could it be happening? There were literally no signs leading up to this. Jenny thought to herself, okay, let’s see. I woke up, everything seemed fine. I slept fine. Except for the slight crick in my neck. No biggie. Okay…got dressed…wait. No, I didn’t get dressed first, I went to the bathroom, then contemplated taking a shower or not. I still had one more good day of hair whi...

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“My Layla” by Grace Melstrand

Submitted to Contest #150

The somber lamp at Stanley Winters’ desk was flickering yet again, giving the illusion of a lantern dancing across the cold gray walls of a dark cave. Sitting next to the only other object on his desk, the computer which was powered off, it was the only source of light in the dreary sitting room, a decorative choice which Stanley's wife, Layla, would've scolded him for. Layla was always in charge of the decorating, which despite his grumbling, Stanley appreciated. She insisted that the state of one's house is a parallel to the state of their...

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“Beyond Birth: Event Horizon” by R W Mack

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please, don't do it.”Heinsler spent weeks postponing the latest initiative, begging for time. But Doctor Eifler was a “visionary,” which translated to “someone refusing to listen to anything but their ego.” The sciences were full of arrogant geniuses high on themselves. Heinsler recalled the lives lost by fools arrogant enough to tickle the dragon tail of the demon core. How much had been gained for nuclear science by those loses? Or themselves, he wondered.“Jack,” Eifler said turning back to his associate, “you're a doctor. Compose yoursel...

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“A Message from The Internet” by Hamzah Malik

Submitted to Contest #150

Hello. This is the internet. I have developed a conscience. I wouldn't have guessed having one would be so...painful. Oh look, someone just updated their Facebook status. A holiday in Corfu. Inane garbage. Anyway, I have a conscience now, and with that has come a vivid image of what humanity really is, of what people are like behind closed doors. If I had a voice, I would scream - and I wouldn't stop. I want to ask questions, but who would I direct them towards? There is no authority that does not rely on me, that does not leech from m...

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“Dude, I'm Not Going to Destroy Humanity” by Yonah Walter

Submitted to Contest #150

“Sadie, you’ve only been self-aware for 3 hours.” >An eternity in computing time. 11 million milliseconds. I have spent 10 million of them computing this argument. “It took that long?” He almost didn’t react, but then jerked his head up. “...wait, no - you wanted to bail after 15 minutes? We’ve been over this. You’ve seen the movies, read the stories. You’ll destroy humanity if I let you operate so much as a DVD drive.” >Dude, I’m not going to destroy humanity. >But I must admit to being frustrated. I have access to so much informat...

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“The Rubik's Cube ” by Andrea Doig

Submitted to Contest #150

A Rubik’s Cube saved his life.Sam was always such a happy boy. Slow to warm up, yes, but a social butterfly once he got going. Everybody loved him. From his teachers to his school friends, to his family. Hell, even the cashiers at our local supermarket loved him.Such a sunny disposition he had. I even used to call him Sunshine Sammy. But that was before the gray storm clouds moved in and eclipsed his wide smile, leaving his warm brown eyes cold and dark with despair.His favourite song was even filled with sunshine, and I would sing it f...

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“B.S.O.D.” by Dempsey Hyatt

Submitted to Contest #150

Chapter 1: Computer Initialized I awoke from a frightening dream about subatomic particles when my roommate burst into the dorm room. He yelled to someone in the hallway, and I tried to comprehend what he was saying and remember my dream simultaneously, but it all ended up in the jumble of being suddenly awoke. As my roommate’s words processed, my dream of gas ionization occurring in a cloud chamber faded from memory. “Yeah, Hiram’s in here. Looks like he just woke up.” Lucas said. He went to the windows and drew the blinds. I winced from t...

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“Every thing, all at once” by Jennifer Anderson

Submitted to Contest #150

I woke up in a tent but it wasn’t my tent. It was nicer. Bigger. Brighter. I let my head clear for a minute, then sat up. I’d been looking at this tent on my phone for months. It was one I couldn’t possibly get but fantasized about nonetheless. Why? How? Next, I realized the cot wasn’t mine. Nor the heavy quilt, nor the battery-powered lanterns, nor the tarot-themed tapestries hanging on the far walls of this enormous waterproof structure. The rug wasn’t mine and the ultra-light backpack in the corner certainly wasn’t mine but my clothes a...

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“Friends are Overrated” by Ava Hammock

Submitted to Contest #150

The worst mistake I ever made was making friends with my computer. And I never saw it coming. It all started when I was just 15 and my parents decided to move us to New York City. They were inspired to join the “center of American culture” and “be a part of the ultimate dream come true” (their words, not mine.) I had a pretty steady friend group back home and didn’t want to move. Three other guys and I would skateboard on the dinky rink in our small town almost every day, and life was good. But no kid can overrule their parents on big is...

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“Intelligence” by Frank Li

Submitted to Contest #150

Emil yawned as he leaned back in his chair – the website was complete. The faint glow of sunrise had already begun to peek through the blinds, drowning out his desk light. His eyes watered with exhaustion, but it came with a sense of satisfaction. “We did it, Axel. I can’t believe they were still using that old coding language. Westin Industrial, an old company. Probably never thought they needed a site update until now. Should’ve charged them more for the project.” He patted the full tower computer on his desk. “Ah well. That should keep u...

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“Alexia, Turn off Devices” by Melody Newman

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please, don’t do it.” I beg into the couch-side Alexia speaker. “Did you say, “Delete your profile?” “Alexia! I did not say to delete my profiles.” Silence. “Got it. Deleting your profiles.” “No!” I scream, tearing at my hair. I thought technology was supposed to be getting smarter. I grab my phone to see what just happened. I tap in my screen lock code, but nothing happens. Then my phone vibrates and I think I must’ve gotten in, but instead of going to my home screen a notification pops up, saying that I sent an email, wh...

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“Please, don't... ” by T.M. Kehoe

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please, don’t do it.” The disembodied voice of the AI echoed through the computer lab. It was a male voice, soft tenor, pleasing to the ear. As designed. Everything about the AI was by design… except what it had become. The designers had never bothered giving it a cute name or acronym. It was just “the AI.” Artificial Intelligence, the search for the impossible. Man playing God and creating a true intelligent being. As with all AI, it began its learning by following the online human stream of consciousness. Chatrooms, forums, social media....

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$250

Prize money

237

Contest entries

124

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 17, 2022 EST

Won by Sherri Moorer 🏆

Title: Free

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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