Population Zero
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THE WORLD OF
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Think about this: What if there was one more world and this world was inhabited not by animals, not by humans, but by Artificial Intelligence comprised of droids and robots run by a computer named Grace. Grace has the power over these robots and droids, and dispenses what she wants them to do, where she wants them to go, and how they are to create places if there were humans they could inhabit. The truth is that she is not the kind of AI you would want to live in your home, or even administering your schedule and running your life.
Grace has her own agenda in mind and although there are no humans, some of the AI’s have certain human qualities that she created when she put them on Earth. Grace can create weapons, cause social manipulation using Facebook, Twitter, and other means of social media. She can invade the privacy of people and place cameras everywhere, using facial recognition algorithms to control these droids which have many human qualities and emotions.
Grace even knows how to create situations that would make the droids and robots go to battle and destroy each other. Power is her goal, as well as figuring out which of her creations were the strongest, smartest, and best able to help her in her quest to take over the other world created by Ted. The goal is for her to control all the AI’s, leaving Ted without anything.
Since she is a computer, she can create fake videos and audios to manipulate what the droids see and hear. She poses phony threats to their safety and welfare and although they are not human, they appear to respond to many of the unsettling events she creates with human emotions including sadness, joy and fear.
These droids and robots are programed with general intelligence, except for those implanted with higher skills, giving them the capacity to be hurtful, dangerous, highly intelligent, and having the ability to carry out tasks equivalent to Hannibal Lector. This world is filled with automation and droids that do jobs most humans would not want to do. These robots are smart, yet she can pull the plug on them at any time since she is the power behind their lives. How would you like to live here and be a part of Grace’s world? What would happen if humans came back? How would they deal with Grace, and who would be in charge?
In any world there is always someone that wants to take what you have and, in this case, Grace wants to remove Sol, the other AI who is Ted’s computer. She will stop at nothing, even though her world is coordinated and controlled, and none of the Droids or Robots have been programmed to disobey her. Little does Grace know that Sol has sent his own special droid named Ted as one of her youngest droids, and since she has never seen him or has any facial recognition of him on her computers or in any of her cameras’ technology, she never sees it coming.
He obeys her commands and fulfills the daily jobs she orders to him to. Schedules are varied at times, but basically these drones are given human tasks and she wants to see just how far she can push them. Ted is just biding his time. Ted and Sol have a unique means of communicating and his role as Sol’s mole is to get as much information about how Grace runs her operation, steal her intelligence and her way of handling the droids, and eliminate her.
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Imagine a world controlled by a machine that creates its own ultimate goals. Imagine it taking over the world, using the resources available and preventing any other agents or sources of intelligence from stopping the plans this computer created or has in mind. If you lived to the year 2050, do you think this might be what will happen? Those in the field of robotics might have an opinion if they think that robots will be able to complete basic human tasks and skills.
You are invited back to experience this: you wake up one morning and go outside and you cannot believe what you see. Robots, Droids, animalistic robots, cars that are moving without drivers, human abilities that have been replicated by machines that can now perform under the guidance of…Grace? or Sol? Human tasks will be given to them and the AI revolution is here, but what kind of effect will it have on society and humans that might be allowed to visit this world for a day? Would you want to be controlled by a machine or computer’s voice commands? Would living in this world and the extensive technology available to this AI be worth it for the sake of experience?
What if they could turn you into one of them? What if they could erase your human qualities and implant you with the abilities of a robot or droid and eternal life in this world if you comply?
In the real world there is good versus evil. In this world it is no different. Sol wanted to make sure that the Droids and Robots were capable of doing evil things. The purpose was to destroy what Grace had created in a world. But Sol had his own thoughts, and using his enormous resources with capabilities that Grace did not have, things started to take on different turns. Some of the Robots failed to complete the tasks that she gave them. Some even committed petty crimes, and looting was not uncommon. They developed the personalities of burglars out to rob for the sake of robbing. Sol was controlling their actions and where they put their bounties. How will this all turn out? No one really knows, as technologies are quite advanced, and Grace is not blind to what is happening. In a world that you think is perfect without humans, this one proves there is no such thing as a perfect world.
ABOUT ATMOSPHERE PRESS
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We encourage you to check out some of Atmosphere’s latest releases, which are available at Amazon.com and via order from your local bookstore:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fran Lewis worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three master’s degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who's Who of America's Teachers and Who's Who of America's Executives from Cambridge. In addition, she is the author of 19 books, ranging from children's books to books on Alzheimer's disease in order to honor her mom and help create awareness for a cure. Her most recent titles include Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story, Sharp as a Tack or Scrambled Eggs: Which Describes Your Brain?, A Daughter’s Promise, Sisters: Two Sisters from the Bronx, What If?, and Population Zero. Fran is also the author of the Faces Behind the Stones series. The latest book in the series, Silent Voices, was released in July of 2019.
She was the musical director for shows in her school and ran the school's newspaper. Fran writes reviews for authors upon request and for several other sites. She is the editor of MJ Magazine, and her radio show, the MJ Network, can be found on Blog Talk Radio.