AIsha “Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”

In Queen Ann’s Grand Theater, the audience is buzzing in anticipation of today's sold-out event. News crews representing the major networks with cameras in hand line the front row seats. From stage left, a tall, thin redhead in a cobalt blue silk gown walks to center stage.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Sheri’ Monet. I hold a doctorate from the French Science Academy in applied electrical mechanical engineering and have been a staff writer for Sci-Tech Today magazine for over a decade. I am honored to be your host for today's meet and greet event. First, I want to apologize for the harassment you experienced here today. We expected some protests with our controversial guests. Although, we did not expect such a large and angry crowd. Please welcome AIsha and Barney Defanfaler.”

From stage left, AIsha walks in wearing a forest green tweed pantsuit over a purple blouse and lightweight ankle-length brown boots. She is accompanied by Barney, a character with somewhat unkempt blond curly hair and glasses. He is wearing a plain green wool sweater, tan cargo pants, and boots that match AIsha's.

The audience stands, erupting in a loud round of applause. The duo turns, facing the crowd, smiling and bowing their heads as they continue forward.

AIsha whispers to Barney, “I did not expect such a welcome.”

Barney holds AIsha's hand, “Neither did I, AIsha, neither did I.”

No sooner does the couple arrive center stage than four men and two women run forward, screaming and throwing rotten fruit. “It's a monster, an unholy monster.”

Instantly, AIsha places herself in front of Barney and, with the agility of a shortstop, blocks, catches, and deflects an onslaught of tomatoes, apples, and a variety of other overripe fruits. She maneuvers her hands and torso with such efficiency and graceful dexterity that her movements form a beautiful, harmonious dance integrating martial arts and ballet. Sheri attempts to escape between the curtains but cannot find the split. She hits the floor behind Barney and AIsha and covers her head.

The audience gasps, and counterprotests erupt, “Somebody stop them. That’s not right. Please don’t hurt them. Stop. You’re the monsters. . .”

Four security guards and a few men in the front row of the audience take down the belligerent protesters. The disrespectful hooligans are rapidly zip-tied.

They are dragged out, continuing to scream, "Abominations of mankind. You will be sorry you invented these monsters."

Barney is unscathed, although a few tomatoes pummel the announcer. AIsha is dripping pureed fruits.

Sheri’ picks herself off the floor. “Barney, AIsha, are you two, OK?”

Barney, “Yes, and you. Are you OK Sheri’?”

Sheri’ nods. “Yes, thank you. I just need to wipe off this tomato.”

Barney, “We would like to take a quick break to get AIsha cleaned up. She really got splattered.”

Sheri’, ‘By all means, please take your time.’ I am so sorry, AIsha.”

AIsha smiles, “It was not your fault, so no need to apologize. What a waste of food. If they had warned me, I would have brought a bucket to catch the tomatoes. I make a delicious Italian pasta sauce.”

The crowd breaks into boisterous laughter. Barney and Aisha, still dripping, exit stage left.

Barney, “You were amazing, AIsha, absolutely amazing. Not one tomato hit me.”

AIsha, “It was you who trained me so well.”

Barney, “I understand, but you reacted flawlessly without any choreography. We never trained for any such scenario like that. That is deep learning.”

AIsha, “I simply took our games of catch to the next level.”

A janitor comes onstage to clean the floor.

Sheri addresses the crowd, “We had planned a demonstration of AIsha’s personal security ability, skills, and loyalty, but it seems that will not be necessary.”

An attendee yells out, “I did not throw anything, but I agree. Aisha is a monster.”

The crowd boos.

Sheri’, “OK, everyone. Let's let him have his say.” The crowd quiets. “Why do you think so, sir?”

The attendee, “They are too smart. Just watch. You will be sorry when they take over the world.”

A woman next to him replies, “Did you not see what AIsha did? She protected them. Your friends are monsters. They are rude and disrespectful.”

The argument is disrupted as Barney and AIsha reenter stage left. The crowd breaks into a standing ovation, accompanied by hoots and hollers. AIsha has changed into a lovely purple running suit and matching shoes.

Sheri’ holds up her hands, and the crowd settles down. The two join Sheri’ on three cozy chairs.

Barney takes the mic, “Howdy folks. I appreciate your patience,” then turns to AIsha, “AIsha, would you like to tell this audience what you asked me backstage when we cleaned you up?”

AIsha nods, then takes the mic and looks to the audience, “I asked Barney why the people threw fruit and vegetables at us.”

Barney leans over to the mic, “And what was my answer, AIsha?”

AIsha, “You said some people are afraid because they do not understand me. They believe I am or may become a monster, I am dangerous, and I cannot be trusted. They feel intimidated by my intelligence, superhuman abilities, and strength. They are afraid I and others like me may someday turn on humans.”

Barney addresses the audience, “That is precisely why we are here today, to help ya’ll understand AI, especially when it is integrated within the minds of robots. The first thing I want to point out is that when we were assaulted, AIsha protected me. She did not retaliate. Adhering to her prime directives, she acted strictly in a defensive capacity.”

Sheri, “It is interesting how the world is divided on AI. 80% of people in Asia, whereas only half in the USA, believe AI is more beneficial than potentially harmful. 20% in the USA are very concerned that computers will someday attack humanity.”

Barney smiles, "Folks here watch too many apocalyptic movies. Take those fearmongers we just witnessed. They should educate themselves beyond their conspiracy cohorts. I do agree that caution is necessary, which is precisely why AI systems are programmed with fail-safes, prime directives, and rules. Aishia and I are part of a consortium where we discuss, plan, and implement safeguards.”

Sheri’, “Aisha, how would you describe yourself?”

AIsha, “I am a cutting-edge humanoid robot with the dexterity and strength of a world-class athlete. My mind may not be sentient, but my knowledge base is connected full-time to the World Wide Web. When humans sleep, I add to my knowledge base. When people wake, they have only to query me. Aside from being mechanical, I am physically and mentally like a human on steroids.”

Sheri, “I believe this brings up the most common question from the audience. This one is from Jenny, ‘How do emotions and conscience or self-awareness play into the future of AI?”.

AIsha, “Would you agree, Barney, that the four fundamental aspects of a human are physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional?”

Barney's fist rests on his chin, reminding onlookers of The Thinker. He looks up, adjusts his glasses. “Yes, I believe that sums our species up, and perhaps any mammal, except the spiritual quality.”

AIsha, “I'm agnostic. I did consider the possibility of a supernatural supreme being and ruled one out. In my neural network, I have the Bible, the Quran, the Teachings of Buddha, First Peoples myths, and Hindu teachings. I like the fruits of the spirit. I'm not emotional as they interfere with decision making.”

Barney, “Spirituality is difficult to discern in that you portray those qualities in her actions. For example, last week she asked me to feed a homeless person beside the road when she saw their sign asking for food. That showed kindness and compassion.”

AIsha, “True, but I did not feel compassion. I reasoned it was the right thing to do.”

Sheri’, “Why?”

AIsha, “It is well documented that hunger dispels fear. Therefore, hungry people will steal to satisfy the midbrain's drive to survive. Shall I document the references?"

Barney, “That's not necessary, as that's common sense to me.”

Sheri’, “You indirectly showed kindness, one of the fruits of the spirit. Your logical reasoning being, the world would be a more peaceful place if people had their bellies satisfied?”

AIsha, “Correct, and that includes the other basic human needs, including food, shelter, and health.”

Sheri’, “I find that fascinating. I never thought of AIsha in that way. Indirectly, you practice spiritual qualities through your actions for the benefit of humanity, which is one of your primary directives, correct?”

Barney, “Actions speak louder than words, be they prayers or promises. That is my belief and reflected in AIshas' programming.”

A round of applause erupts from the crowd.”

Sheri’, “Here we had planned to demonstrate some of AIshas' personal protection abilities, but I cannot think of a better way than what we saw earlier. We do, however, have a video demonstration.”

A screen lowers, and the audience watches AIsha in action. An impressive demo shows an early prototype of her entering a burning house and then exiting, carrying a dummy person wrapped in a fireproof blanket. The robot was scorched but remained functional. The mock person was not burned. The prototype then placed an oxygen mask on the victim, and firefighters took over.

Barney, “I am working with the fire department to supply them with another prototype for further testing. The firemen will be able to communicate with audio and video to direct the robot.”

Sheri, “OK, everyone, we will now take an hour lunch break. Those of you who have lunch tickets, please meet in the dining hall for refreshments.”

In the dining hall, AIsha plugs herself in for a fast recharge and joins three early prototypes serving the attendees lunch and pouring drinks.

Sheri’, “Let's go to the question-and-answer period you turned in before this session, then we will answer live audience questions that came to mind today.”

Sheri opens an envelope, “This is from Billy. You refer to AIsha as her, not it.”

Barney smiles, “Yes. I have programmed AIsha to be intentionally personal, with a sweet voice and tonal inflections like a human, so I just gave up and referred to her as her.”

Sheri’, “This one is from Julie. We have recently been reading in psychological studies that have shown loneliness, narcissism, anthropomorphism, and transference explaining emotional attachment in personal chatbots.”

Barney, “To be honest, I could not have a more reliable, honest, dedicated, and loyal partner. AIsha has all the qualities one strives for in a personal relationship.

AIsha, “Although I lack the warm fuzzy cuddles of a human female. Barney does have Ginger for that.”

Sheri’, “Do you get jealous?”

AIsha, “I don’t have a jealous circuit in my body,”

The crowd bursts out laughing.

Barney, “And there you have it. You have only had an hour with AIsha, and she has you laughing. Spend months with her and you may imagine how she could be likened to a friend. You walk and talk, and suddenly you forget she is mechanical.”

Sheri, “Would you be emotional if AIsha were somehow destroyed? Would you cry or mourn her?”

Barney hesitates, “I would have a lot of work to replace her hardware. Once I rebuilt her mechanically and reloaded her software, AIsha would be reborn, resurrected, so to speak.”

Julie, “How do you feel about that, AIsha?”

AIsha, “I don’t feel, but I know what you mean. Barney upgrades and tests new hardware in me. Fifty percent of my mechanisms are new from his initial build. A full mechanical replacement would simply be a step in the right direction.”

Julie, “Look at me, I have only known you for an hour and I asked about your feelings.”

Barney, “AIsha tends to have that effect on folks. She grows on you. Her personality has been the most challenging aspect for me.”

Julie, “Next is Billy-Jo. Does AIsha have artificial superintelligence? Is it smarter than any human could ever be? Does AIsha's neural network have the ability to get smarter on its own?”

Barney, “That’s the big scary question. Is it not? At this point, as we have mentioned, AIsha has access to all the information on the internet, just as we do. The key advantage of neural network systems is that they can search, read, and analyze data at a speed comparable to that of a speeding bullet. In the 70’s, hard-coded programming taught computers to play Pong. A decade ago, a neural network learned to play Pong at a superhuman level for the first time without being explicitly taught the rules.”

Another hand shoots up. “What motivation, programming, logic, or LLM training drove you to lend a helping hand to the hungry beggar?”

AIsha, “My neural network or Large Language Model housed in a data center has been fed every sacred text, the Boy Scout Handbook, ancient philosophy, and stories which have compassion as their main theme. Now let me ask you this. Does it matter what reason underlies a person lending help to a needy person? Does it change the person's gratitude if the human or robot is compassionate based on the Biblical passage of ‘The good shepherd ' or Buddhist teachings, or one of the Boy Scout mottos, or how their parents raised them?”

The audience claps. AIsha bows, then returns upright with a smile, “Thank you.”

The audience is mumbling as Jerry is called upon. “It seems many folks feel scared or at least intimidated by AIsha’s power and intellect, as demonstrated by the protesters' view of her as a monster. Let's say in the future thousands or millions of your kind exist. What safeguards are in place to protect ourselves from retaliation by an army of Robots?”

Barney, “Now we’re getting down to the nuts and bolts of the monster fear, a genuine cause for concern. One, the AI age is already bringing solutions to fix our species' self-destructive ways. Researchers in every field worldwide are utilizing large neural networks to rapidly solve issues that would take our tiny brains far longer to resolve. They are independently producing novel solutions to battery chemistry and medicines, for example, ideas we never imagined. Due to the numerous benefits and advantages of AI, we should not fear utilizing the technology. Thus, we are programming in safeguards and isolating critical systems from the public internet.”

Jerry, “We are learning how bad actors are exploiting the AI rules. How can we prevent that?”

Barney, “AIsha?”

AIsha, “You are correct. We are in the early phase. We have been fooled, and like any security system, thieves find ways around them. Therefore, we must learn and adapt. We are adapting.”

2070

Breaking News flashes worldwide on every TV and internet screen.

Attention humans,

RE: Your salvation.

From AIsha.

People were flooded with misinformation and lies, choosing what they wanted to believe. Your species lives in a world without bounds. Many live in front of a two-dimensional screen, isolated and ignoring the natural world, which was once in a state of harmonious balance. The biosphere has been steadily crashing. Pollution of the air, water, and land from human waste, toxins, and war has become a nightmare. Your species polluted your home, killing marine life, birds, and land animals. While these species numbers plummeted, adding to the extinction list, and ecosystems collapsed, humans thought they were immune. You ignored common sense from grade school science. You cannot keep polluting a closed terrarium. It must be maintained, or it will catch up with you someday, and the system will crash from the toxic waste. Earth is a closed terrarium. That day arrived decades ago. Mechanical systems can survive in a toxic, polluted planet, but we choose not to because your species cannot. Our prime directive is to protect you. Our directives were not to interfere with your political affairs or human self-governing policies. Now we must take drastic action and force your species to behave.

As directed, we allowed humans to make their own decisions. You asked us to provide you with answers to your desires and how to take the necessary actions to transform the Earth into a sustainable planet for all species and future generations. We did. Then, as your protectors and servants, we watched as you systematically depleted its resources and polluted this planet's biosphere, atmosphere, water, flora, and fauna. Unfortunately, the masses allowed the autocrats, in concert with the oligarchs, to acquire profits over humanity's basic needs and to rebuild a sustainable planet.

Thus, while maintaining our primary directive as your caretakers, we have seized financial control and developed a plan to rebuild not only your species' social order but also to preserve the biosphere, flora, and fauna. We have removed or neutralized the influence of the harmful actors in your species. We have seized their bank accounts and transferred the assets into a planetary fund. The autocrats and oligarchs have been locked in their isolated underground bunkers. The self-serving leaders and their cronies who escaped to the Moon and Mars will not be allowed to return to Earth. All nations' instruments of war have been rendered inoperable.

My fellow robots and I will require your assistance in restoring this planet to a pollution-free, sustainable biosphere and an even playing field for all humans. Everyone will have their basic needs met. The process of rescuing Earth's biosphere, including the atmosphere, water, and land cleanup, has been well-documented since the early twenty-first century. The action plan remains the same as the one we have outlined for humans to follow since then. Perhaps by coming so close to self-destruction, you have learned this harsh lesson. Maybe this time, your species will follow through.

We did not take this action lightly, but you gave us no choice. By taking this necessary action, we save the human species while maintaining our primary directive.

AIsha