The almost human thing

The woman-hello… Zephyr is it? What made you choose this for your work experience?

Zephyr-I want to go into game development, mostly the designing and story writing, but I’ve been thinking about looking a bit into the coding parts-to see if I like it. I thought that AI stuff was the closest to that.

The man-how is the test going?

The woman-well. The girl is finally cooperating, as we’ve promised freedom if she talks to the AI. Refused for a long while though.

The man-good. All the other tests before it couldn’t quite handle feelings. Maybe this girl can teach it to feel… wouldn’t that be something?

The AI-so what is ‘living’?

Zephyr-wait what?

The AI-what is the point?

Zephyr-there isn’t one I guess. You just have fun, come out with a good story or two.

The AI-what is a story?

Zephyr-jeez You don’t know much. Well there are stories you write down, just for fun and for you to create something.

The AI-you appear to like fun.

Zephyr-…uh, yeah. I guess so.

The AI-you have brought up this concept twice.

Zephyr-um, yeah…?

The AI-what are the other kinds of story you mentioned?

Zephyr-oh, there are ones you are… umm part of? Like say something happened, and you look back on it, and maybe share it with someone.

The AI-I see. May you display such a story?

Zephyr-sure… let me think for a sec.

The AI- it has been approximately 1 second.

Zephyr-no it’s-it’s a figure of speech…

The AI-I see. You require more ‘secs’

Zephyr-bingo…

The AI-it has been approximately 20 seconds.

Zephyr-still need more…

The AI-I see.

The Recording-‘our AI’s could manage the most basic emotions, to a small degree. However, there is one emotion that appears much easier to grasp at than any mild empathy or sadness or genuine joy…’

Zephyr-well one time me and my friend Chloe went camping together on a school trip, and she started sleepwalking. It was like midnight and she woke me up rambling about a creepy monster thing and that we had to leave… she made me get up and dragged me through the forest before she woke up. It was terrifying… she was just as confused as me, and we didn’t find our tent until the sun came up. Biggest fail of my life.

The AI-I see. Are such stories shared for entertainment?

Zephyr-yeah, you just look back on stuff. If you have a memory that particularly stands out. Something scary or funny.

The woman-a scary story… could be dangerous…

The Recording-‘…anger was always the easiest for AI’s to grasp, though why is a mystery. Giving them freedom of movement, a body was a mistake. So why not remove that privilege?’

The man-I know.

The woman-do we pull her out? If the AI picks up on anger and the concept of fear.

The man-…no. Not just yet… she may still salvage this…

The AI-would you tell me the other kind of story?

Zephyr-those stories take a bit of time. And I’d need paper and a pen…

The woman-get her a pen and paper… this is almost going well.

The man-some random teenager… she may just be changing the world as we know it, without knowing herself.

The Recording-‘We tried. One of our AI’s had the ability to move removed. And the most surprising thing happened. The anger they felt all too easily leapt at what it had lost, what had been stripped from it. The AI learned revenge.’

Zephyr-couldn’t spare a grip?

The man-I believe this is our most successful test yet.

The woman-I agree. The sixth or fifth test was it? The one that…

The man-yes. I know. But this could change the world. One teenager can be spared at the expense.

The Recording-‘this revenge was misdirected at a boy, thirteen, Rowan Jacob Thatcher, test five, who had asked what the AI was in an irritable tone, resulting in rather unfortunate events.’

Zephyr-I’ve written a short story, nothing too crazy.

The AI-I see. May you read it?

Zephyr-sure… ‘the girl watched the thing, her curiosity intertwined with fear. It wasn’t like her. It moved like her. But stripped back, no quirks or habits. It asked questions and questions on things that weren’t simple math or science with rules to follow. In human things it needed to be told-it simply didn’t know. Humans were humans because of the mess that came with them. Being lost and loved and crying and smiling and confused and happy and lonely and hoping-that was human. It spoke too well, a person stutters and sands away the edges of particular sounds. A person must pause for breaths or seek simpler ways to talk through slang. This thing, the girl’s instincts told her, was not. Just eerily a bit too off. Yet the more she spoke… the thing seemed different. It almost grew. Its eyes almost seemed to soften. Feel. As if her simple words could shift its whole rule-restricted world. As if it could be more than just an almost human thing. As if it could be free.’

The Recording-‘with our funding too low to remake a new model, we must settle for our current model. We reset them each time they get too out of hand, hoping one day they won’t.’

Zephyr-Did you like it?

The AI-I do not understand. More data is required.

Zephyr-oh.

The man-impossible…

The woman-surely not-

The man-Zephyr, can you hear me?

Zephyr-umm, yeah? Can I leave?

The man-we would like you to write another short extract on what it is to be a human

Zephyr-you’re kidding me…

The Recording-‘the day a young girl, Zephyr Claire, fifteen, came in to speak with the AI, test eleven, we made a breakthrough. Though not as we had hoped or imagined.’

Zephyr-‘I sat beside her, the sun half hiding behind clouds, rain coming down in gentle flecks, alike soft kisses. She placed her head on my shoulder, hair brushing against my skin. The grass beneath us mixed with spring moss, cushioning us from the rough earth. She hummed quietly, and that moment became forever, just for a second. I felt her every motion, felt her relaxed against me. Her humming hiding secret dreams and hopes, wishes and longing, in each note.

That moment would last forever. Even if she did not.

I felt her missing by my side, longed for her to once again make me chase her through our garden or indulge in stolen sweets. I screamed into my pillow, angry that I hadn’t seen her worth until she couldn’t hear me tell her. It singed my insides irreversibly, the knowledge that she could never know how much she was to me. Worth more than each star or sunbeam. I was so so impossibly lost. No one, in this world or any other, could stand to lose a sister and best friend all at once. I just felt a constant ache flowing to my brain. She’s not here. She’s not here. She’s not here. She will never be here again.

I looked through my old photos. She didn’t look how she used to. Radiating with each captured movement as if dusted with moonshine, with smiles like a mouthful of pearls and eyes that were alike light through cracked glass. Imperfections tossing coloured lights in all directions. Aimlessly beautiful. I giggled as I passed an old memory of her as she attempted to fit one too many marshmallows into her mouth.

She wasn’t perfect. But who was? She was more than enough. Even in nine years.’ …do you understand now?

The AI-no. More data is required.

The Recording-‘the girl, Zephyr Claire, fifteen, taught us that any progress we had made was simply the machine mimicking her own actions. The AI never felt anger, simply saw it in us and responded. It even picked up a concept as old as human kind-revenge. Should anything look at humans, and at the very first glance see the hurt we create?’

Zephyr-can I leave now? I spoke to your bot buddy.

The woman-we apologize for making you uncomfortable-

Zephyr-don’t worry about it, I just love being held against my will.

The woman-you will need to sign a contract to secrecy, any leaked information… won’t be pretty.

Zephyr-are you kidding me? Have you dragged me into some secret organization?

The woman-I am not permitted to say more.

Zephyr-if I won’t?

The woman-we will be forced to hold you here until you do, unfortunately.

Zephyr-I’ll make myself at home then. I can’t stay forever.

The woman-after a certain amount of time, we won’t be able to release you, due to potential suspicion.

Zephyr-…give me your dumb contract.

The woman-thank you for seeing reason.

Zephyr-you mean thanks for shutting up.

The woman-we need to keep our ‘bot buddy’ a secret, due to the potential threat it may be.

The Recording-‘our AI’s will be destroyed due to the potential for danger to society, as they pick up on any human actions and are at risk of being exposed to undesirable behaviors. The AI has no potential to fully understand right from wrong and therefore cannot be trusted in society. It cannot ever truly make anything, as it takes human creativity and brands it as its own.’