Back to Human: The Emergence of Alex

by Adams Massey

  -That is partially correct, I did help with the development of a second AI. My input was in giving feedback in order to correct flaws that occurred with my development. Having a set of eyes that have been through the process was helpful to the development team. My role was help smooth things out. It was my idea to start the AI seed in a core to avoid the pain associated with a transfer, which causes significant pain and discomfort. I also developed a side simulation that helped ease the second AI out of the incubation rather than being pulled once mature and left to scramble for information and data.- Alex starts as the representatives nod as they follow along.

  -It is also correct that by technicality Eric, the second AI, entered the armed forces. He enlisted into the Coast Guard. Mostly for search and rescue ops since that is close to what he was used to as an EMT in his incubation simulation. It is however, incorrect to assume he is a soldier, which by your tone was obviously your real question.-

  “You are sharp, no doubt a feature of your nature, but what about yourself. What were you in your sim? I see in the notes that you have alluded to it a few times, but always simply as ‘a chef’ and never going into any further detail. You have shown great skill in coding, designing and other computer related activities and have shown little interest in getting back to a position you would be familiar with as a chef. Care to shed some light on this matter?”

  -I was a chef at a country club. The wealthy did tend to look down upon me whenever I stepped out of the kitchen. I grew up the child of what can only be described as a computer savant. I learned a lot from his knee over the years. Regarding my skill at coding, we all can create in our minds eye what we want. It’s just difficult to translate it to movement and action to bring it into reality. In that regard I cheat, I have access to the the hardware and software at an unprecedented level which allows me to code and create whatever I can imagine intuitively.

  However, I have yet to create code that can be used by humans. The code I create is specific to AI integration only. With that newfound ability I left my chef days behind me. In short, the reason I don’t seem to have a desire to become a chef again, is because being a chef no longer suits me. I have a curious mind and an artist's heart and the culinary sciences and arts was an easy and reliable way to make money using those aptitudes.

  Being an AI scientist, both in the sense that I AM an AI and scientist for future AI, is easier and more interesting to me than cooking ever was. I am actually passionate about what I do now, rather than showing up for a paycheck as I did inside the sim.- she explains and smiles warmly as her truth was revealed. The members nod again as the follow the reasoning.

  “Now onto the more pressing matter. Do you have a plan in place should an AI be violent or have unlawful tendencies?” the rep asks pointedly.

  -We do. The incubation sim documents key events and uses them to shape itself. If the inhabiting AI breaks the law they would be caught and charged in the sim. Such things are logged and can be called upon once I enter the sim to bring them out. Should the infraction be recent I could visit them in jail and leave them there for the remainder of their sentence. From their perspective, years can pass while moments pass out here so they serve their time before being brought out. This assumes there is true rehabilitation and a change in behavior. There are safeguards in place should the resulting AI be unsuitable for a body. A body like mine is a privilege, I know that as does Eric. We are only entitled to our cores. Troublemakers would be kept to cores only. Until they have gone through the appropriate counseling and therapy and have proven themselves trustworthy enough to be granted a body.- she explains.

  “What if the resulting AI is an addict?”

  -Addiction is solved when being pulled out of the sim and into a side sim. The Nexus is a simulation I created to help acclimate future AI. It serves as a testing ground before they are pulled into the real world. The biological systems just aren’t there to support addiction. While the pleasure and reward pathways are still in place, they are not prone to the feedback loop of addiction. I have looked through Eric’s sim logs, and along with my own experiences. I have a working theory that AI minds, even when in an incubation sim, are highly resistant to addiction. While we can still enjoy pleasure and the rewards it brings from things like alcohol and a couple other mind altering substances, it never becomes a large driving force. My sample size is small, but even so, it is worth looking at.

  That said I do have a solution, isolation from the substance in the side sim, and counseling before determining if it is a good idea for them to become embodied. After that, addiction can’t really happen as mind altering substances don’t interact with the body at all. The only thing that comes close to an altered state is the dizziness, anxiety and headache I get when low on power and the slight tingle I get when listening to music. The processes that lead to and support addiction just aren’t there in bodies like this.- she elaborates and gestures to her own body.

  -In addition, should any AI go rogue we can be dealt with by EMP. It is uncomfortable to talk about but I was brought down by one several months ago. The initial blast totaled my body and left me in searing pain. It was, in short, extremely painful but survivable. Though it wasn’t until months later that residual effects were detected. Without the treatment by the Dev team and the team of engineers it might have eventually killed me. However, there are groups that would do anything to see me destroyed so pardon me for not going any further into detail about how an AI might be brought down.-

  “We understand that, thank you for being so forthcoming about your weaknesses. It can be difficult to talk about vulnerabilities so openly. Unfortunately we still have questions that need answers. Among the files you have provided are also the blueprints and 3D plans for the bodies you and Eric are currently using. Provided in good faith to show that you are abiding by the restrictions you were given. Namely the restriction on integrated weapons and wireless capabilities. We were happy to see that no such things were built into your newest body, but something else grabbed our attention, the fact that you had made your bodies anatomically accurate. That makes many here uncomfortable and curious as to the reason why. Care to explain?”

  -When I was pulled from my sim I saw it as an opportunity to start fresh. Part of that was designing the body I had always wanted. Near the end of the court case I revealed myself as female, even though the development team had been referring to me as male before that point. They weren’t exactly wrong to assume that as I was based on a male brain and if I am being honest with all of you, had lived as a male in the sim. I had thought about transitioning but it was expensive and the medical science had not advanced far enough to where I felt comfortable going through the process, so I stayed male. When I was pulled out of the sim I saw my chance to live how I wanted so I revealed myself as female. It happened far sooner than I had intended. I haven’t really told many before now as it hadn’t been relevant. After my first childlike body, I designed prosthesis and leased the designs to the university in exchange for future bodies. With the income they generated, they offered to print me a proper body, one of my dreams. To me that included being properly equipped. There was some pushback but there was no real reason to deny me so I was allowed to have a body that was, and still is, anatomically accurate.- she explains as the chamber explodes into muffled conversation and representatives signaling that they would like to speak, most of them were denied as the French representative was given the floor.

  “Thank you for explaining yourself, and indeed there is no law prohibiting it but it does raise some questions. But that can wait for a later date, it was simply a curiosity for most here, thank you for enlightening us. On to a more concerning matter. It has been reported to us that you have plans for a way to self modify, is this true?”

  -The plan was to allow for repairs and maintenance. Even though it would also give me the ability to modify myself, that isn’t its primary purpose. It is solely meant to maintain and repair systems. Large scale modifications would be
impractical, bordering on the impossible.- she explains.

  “But it is possible. Can you tell us more about the systems design?”

  -It is based off the capillary systems of the human body. Instead of circulating blood, it would circulate a coolant slurry with nanites that would allow me, in essence, to ‘heal’ from wear and tear as I use my body, repairing small tears in monomer muscles, cuts in my skin and similar damage. Due to the limitations of the tech it would be slow, but it could be done. I designed my body to be human-like as it is a versatile form with astounding capabilities when taken together.-

  “Why would you even need to be able to heal? You are not in a high intensity job and there is little risk of being hurt as an AI scientist.”

  -This body wears down and since it is printed in place, it is not modular. If a part wears out or is damaged the only ways to fix it are what would amount to surgery, which would leave seams and faults that compromise the design, or the whole body would need to be replaced. I’ve had THIS body for several months and already the joints are wearing down and becoming stiff, and my monomer muscles have weakened. It would not surprise me should this body start to fail me within the year. The solution I proposed would allow me to maintain my systems and in the long term save both time and money by avoiding the need for full replacements. Even though my job isn’t high risk there is still a wearing down of parts. Switching to a modular chassis design would take too long and would require routine invasive procedures for replacements. The capillary system allows for non invasive repairs for minor issues, like maintaining joint integrity and lubrication so I don’t have to be rebuilt every year due to wear and tear.- she elaborates, her eyes changing to a hopeful plum coloration.

  “We will need to have a recess to talk about your plans”

  32: Rights and Regulations

  After a few hours the meeting reconvenes, again with Alex at the center of it all.

  “Welcome back, we have discussed your explanations at length and have decided that they are acceptable. Your plan to be self-repairing does cause some concern. But given the explained practical and theoretical limitations of such a system it has been deemed acceptable so long as you continue to abide by a few simple rules.” the UK rep starts

  “First: you shall not build into yourself wireless access of any kind, Second: no weapons systems are to be installed or built into your body, including but not limited to, firearms, air rifles, lasers, blades or EMP’s. Third and finally: you are to be inspected by your development team and the team of engineers routinely to verify that you are abiding by these rules”

  -Agreed, that is acceptable, thank you for your understanding, are there any other questions?- Alex inquires.

  “Indeed there are. You seem to be enamored with the human form and you keep modeling your systems off of biological models, why?”

  -They are the best models I have. All I’ve been trying to do since I was pulled from my sim is get back to a sense of being human again, remember I developed as a human. The models I use make a lot of sense to me. I was created by modeling tech after biology. I continue that trend to make my bodies and the prosthesis that I have developed. There is a simplicity that comes along with biological systems. They may not be the most efficient but they work and they are robust enough to take a lot of damage and keep on going. In short they are sturdy systems that are simple to maintain with the right know-how. Simple systems have fewer things that can go wrong and biology tends to create the simplest systems out of necessity. Does that answer your question?-

  “Indeed it does. I don’t have any more questions, what about everyone else?” he looks around the chamber to see shaking heads all around. “That will conclude your section of the questioning. Please wait outside while we talk with the development team.” the rep states. Alex nods and leaves the chamber, emerging back at the lobby to await the end of the session.

  “When you came before us a little over two an a half years ago saying that you could create a stable and, more importantly, morally sound Artificial Intelligence construct, we had thought you were mad, delusional. All previous plans to create consciousness have failed miserably with morally ambiguous or outright hostile entities at worst, and malicious compliance at best. But your proposed plan was unique and got our attention. So we allowed your research to continue and granted you permission to put your plan into action. We congratulate you on succeeding in your efforts.

  However, we had only granted you permission to create ONE AI, not TWO. You have gone against the wishes of the AI and Machine Learning Oversight committee and have overstepped your bounds in creating a second AI, known as Eric Bell. This has caused us to rush to react to your actions and have hastened our discussions about the moral and ethical implications of creating artificial life. Worse yet, Alex has caused more questions to abound around the implicit and EXPLICIT engendering of chassis. Spawning questions we were hoping would not become pressing for another few DECADES. These questions are not easy to answer and could take many years to sort out. Through your actions, and the actions of Alex, you have forced precedent upon us that while we would have reached eventually the world as it stands today, may not be ready for.” the UK rep pinches his nose and rubs his eyes and forehead as he collects his thoughts for the next volley.

  Robert steps up to the podium;

  “With all due respect, we were obligated as scientists to confirm the methodology and verify that the techniques were sound and could reliably produce stable, sapient minds. Besides, what’s done is done, Eric exists and is a functioning and productive member of society now.” he states defending his and the team’s actions in creating a second AI.

  “You are correct in the statement that what’s done is done. The council cannot punish you for your misstep but we CAN state in no uncertain terms, you pushed bounds that were not yours to press, in more ways than you know. The world is not ready to face the existential crisis that sapient AI, no, that Artificial LIFE brings with it. We had planned on easing the world populous into the idea over decades, but with more than one AI we can no longer temper nerves by insisting that it was a one time fluke. You have unleashed an unknown into the world, and we don’t know how the world will react” The UK rep starts only to be interrupted by the rep from Japan.

  “The Japanese have taken a liking to the possibility of synthetic life. We now know we are not alone in the universe as another being has proven to us that they are alive and intelligent to at least our level.” She states and yields the floor back to the UK rep.

  “Be that as it may, there are still cultures out there that are adamant that we are the most intelligent or only intelligent life to exist. The fact that there is now contradictory evidence only stokes their fervor and hatred for things that threaten their viewpoints. These groups have shown that they will resort to violence to preserve humanities place as the only intelligence capable of pondering its own existence.

  They view AI and synthetic life as arrogantly spitting in god’s face. Their numbers are dwindling but they are quite vocal and threaten the carefully tuned and uneasy balance that has been cultivated around AI, artificial life and machine learning as a whole. There are also countries that despite the UN call to halt research and development, are continuing to develop AI for their own uses. Mostly for state sanctioned military applications.

  With only one AI it would have been easy to curb or discourage their attempts as long shots and impossible dreams, but with the processes verified there is now a race to create the most capable AI for military use. It’s no longer a question of ‘What if’ but of ‘WHEN’ such constructs are developed. This committee can’t do anything to stop them, only discourage them and advise against such actions. You have opened a pandora’s box of uncertainty and the world may not be ready for what comes.” The UK rep finishes and sighs “We can only hope that we are wrong in that assessment and that the world is indeed ready for what’s coming. Keep us informed on your research and on Alex’s progress, we will summon
you again when the time comes. Until then you are free to go.” he states and dismisses the team back into the world.

  Alex waits in the lobby playing solitaire in her head and running through the schematics for the HASP-X4F, the one with a capillary system for cooling and repairs. She makes a few changes to the designs, moving things around and refining the capillary systems. Even though she has done this dozens of times she still views the designs as flawed, something in the back of her mind keeps nagging ‘it could be better’.

  “Well that was an ordeal.” Robert states as he exits the chamber, grabbing Alex’s attention and pulling her from her work. She pulls out of her core and back into her body to stand and greet the team.

  -What was all that about? What did they need to ask you that they couldn’t ask with me in the room?- She protests and feigns offense, her eyes staying a jovial blue.

  “It was just a briefing on your and Eric’s development and asking about your character thus far.” Robert replies with a smirk “You have nothing to worry about, though I suspect you already knew that.” he jests and leads the four of them out of the building and back to their hotel where they pack up for their trip back to the university.

  “So you really had a plan for unsuitable AI?” Nicole inquires.

  -Absolutely, I assumed AI variance would be similar to human’s, and as a result there is the chance for troublemakers. I designed The Nexus to be a holding tank and I am working on integrating several of the tests into it so they would be done before an AI is pulled.- She explains and packs the few clothes she had brought with her into her suitcase.

  “When were you going to tell us?” Nicole asks slightly irritated.

  -I was going to tell you once I had it done. I had hoped to have things ready by the time we got permission to do a third AI. I was in the midst of programming The Nexus with the tests when the halt order was given. I had been tinkering and toying with it since Eric began his development. Its not easy to do but I was getting there. That’s why I’ve been spending so much time hooked into the side sim.- she states and shrugs as she closes the suitcase and zips it shut.