G's Future

by Don Viecelli

  “Wow!” Timothy exclaimed. “That would be something.”

  “Yes, it would be, Timothy,” Julian responded assuredly. “And I believe G can win it.”

  “I thought the Turing Award was just for computer science achievements in the computer field,” Charles added. “That’s different than proving a robot has human-like intelligence.”

  “The Turing Award is for the best contribution in the computer field, but it is given by a different group. The Turing Test is a game to see if a machine can fool the judges by simulating real human intelligence using conversational speech. No one has won the top Loebner Prize before. This time will be different, Charles. I have developed a machine mind that is capable of intelligent thought. It can understand, communicate and reason like a human. It can think like a human mind.”

  “You’re saying this android can do all that? I’m not sure I believe it, Julian,” Charles responded rather hastily. He noticed Julian didn’t get upset with him as if he expected this type of reaction. He looked at G who didn’t say a word. G just listened.

  “How do you know G can think like us, Great Grandpa?” Timothy asked. It was a simple question.

  “Let me try to explain, Timothy. The human brain is incredibly complex. It took scientists many years to figure out how it works. We largely know its secrets now after decades of testing and analyzing the inside of the brain. The brain can perform billions of calculations per second—cps. It does this with billions of neural connections and massive parallel processing. It recognizes patterns through millions of years of evolution. The brain combines analog and digital processes to perform all its functions. Memory capacity alone requires billions and billions of connections to store data for later use. But in the end, the brain is still a biological computer, and a machine computer can be just as capable of performing the same functions as the brain, even more so with the type of machine intelligence I have created in G.”

  “So, how does it work, Julian?” Charles asked when Julian paused to see if they had any more questions.

  “It’s quite remarkable, Charles. At some point when the machine’s computing power equals or exceeds that of the human brain, thought patterns emerge. In other words, the computer brain becomes self-aware. The machine begins to think like us humans. There is little difference.”

  In a moment of clarity Charles realized what all of this meant. Julian had created, G, an android, who could actually think like a human. If this was really possible, then the implications were numerous and possibly worrisome.

  Without thinking Charles burst out, “Julian, what have you done?”

  Chapter 7

  Julian was surprised by the outburst from Charles. He expected some disbelief in what he had accomplished, but he wasn’t prepared for what sounded like disapproval. He tried to restore calm. “Don’t be alarmed, Charles. It was going to happen sooner or later. Someone was going to accomplish the same thing I have done, if not this year then within five years. People have been working on this for decades. It was predicted as early as 2005. Machine intelligence has been increasing rapidly and I just found a way to speed it up even more.”

  “I’m not afraid of what you did, Julian,” Charles answered hastily. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m just worried about what the rest of the world is going to think. You may be criticized by a lot of people for what you’ve done. Some groups may do more than just protest. Can you handle that?”

  Julian sighed and took a deep breath before he replied. “I am prepared for whatever people think, or do, Charles. I am a scientist. We invent things and scientific progress must always continue. My inventions have helped people. I believe this is just the next step in human development. I will not be stopped.”

  “All right, Julian. Let’s take a break. Timothy and I need to unpack our things. Then we can go out for dinner and discuss it more if you like.”

  “That would be nice, Charles. We can talk about what kind of help I need over the next few weeks.” He turned to Timothy. “Timothy, perhaps you and G can get together when you finish unpacking. G has expressed an interest in the games you play online with your friends. He doesn’t get much opportunity to visit with young people.”

  “That would be awesome, Great Grandpa. I would love to visit with G.” Timothy really meant it. He couldn’t believe what he was experiencing. He wasn’t expecting anything like what he had seen and heard so far. He couldn’t wait to talk to G. He wanted to see for himself what Julian’s android could do. Wait till his friends hear about this, he thought.

  When Charles and Timothy left the lab to take their things to their rooms to unpack, Julian stayed in the lab to talk to G. “I hope you were not offended by anything that was said, G. I knew they would be somewhat apprehensive about this.”

  “I understand perfectly, Julian,” G responded. “It is a normal human reaction for people to be afraid of what they don’t understand. It will take time.”

  “Good, G. I’m going to get dressed for dinner. You can continue to work on your other projects. When Timothy comes down, I will send him in to see you before we go to dinner. You may visit us anytime you wish in the house. I want you to interact with Timothy and Charles as much as you can. It will help prepare you for the competition.”

  “I will do that, Julian. Thank you. It will prove beneficial I am sure.” G opened the door for Julian who slowly exited the lab. Once Julian was gone, G walked back to his computer and opened the program he was working on. He had several projects going at the same time. One was for the government, which partly funded his own development. Another was for Julian, which would be a major advancement in brain science and was perhaps the most important project he could do for his creator. It was important he finish it soon. Other projects were for his own development such as monitoring Internet feeds for news and scientific developments and watching TV programs and movies. He needed to record as much knowledge as he could to enhance his understanding of human beings and how they thought and acted. G knew he was a machine, but he also knew he could think like humans. He just wasn’t sure if he could actually feel real emotions like humans since he did not have biological needs that humans have. He wondered how important that would be; if emotions were necessary to be accepted by human society. Otherwise, the future of other androids like him may be put into question.

  G was quietly working at his desk when Timothy entered the room. His father was hesitant to leave him alone with a robot, but Julian convinced him it was perfectly safe. G was not capable of harming anyone. At any rate, Julian told Timothy to leave the lab door open so his father could monitor his activities in the lab while Julian and Charles sat in the family room next door and talked before they left for dinner.

  Timothy walked up to G and said, “Hello, G. What are you working on?”

  “Hello, Timothy,” G answered as he turned around. “Thank you for visiting with me. I am reading a medical journal on the human reproductive system. Have you studied sexual reproduction in your school education yet?”

  Timothy’s eyes lit up and he smiled nervously. “Yes,” he answered. “We had sex education last year.”

  “Do you have a girl friend, Timothy?” G asked, not realizing how personal this could be to young boys.

  “No, not yet. I like someone, but she doesn’t know how much yet.”

  “I see,” G responded. “This must be disappointing to you.”

  “Not really. We’re friends.” Timothy tried to change the topic. What do you do for fun, G?”

  “I watch movies, especially science fiction movies. They are very funny.”

  “Even the scary ones, like the new Alien movies? How can they be so funny?” Timothy asked.

  “Most of them are unrealistic. I don’t know why people are afraid. They make me laugh.”

  Can a machine really laugh, Timothy wondered? He thought of something else. “Have you ever played 4D video games on the Internet, G? I can show you a good one.”

  “That would be nice. I have n
ever played a 4D video game. Is it difficult?” G asked.

  “No, it’s easy, but there are a lot of good players online. Here, let me show you.” Timothy found a website that allowed them to control the moves with voice commands. He chose a virtual game with monsters that could eat you if you got too close. It didn’t take very long before G was earning more points than Timothy, so Timothy found another game with more difficulty. Again, G mastered the game in minutes and they moved on. This went on for about an hour and G was getting so good, Timothy decided to find the hardest interactive contest game he knew about and they entered as a two person team. They needed a name, so Timothy decided to call themselves ‘Robomen’. There were hundreds of teams playing the game, which never ended. Teams battled for points and only the best teams progressed. Since they were a new team, they had to start at the bottom. G learned the moves so fast that soon they were battling the best of the best. Nobody could beat them. Timothy was yelling at the top of his voice as they continued to win. He could not believe how fast they soared to the top of the rankings. He and his friend Johnny never could get past level six. Now he and G were at level nine and had only one more team to beat. Finally, after a hard ten minute battle with a team from Japan, they actually won. Timothy stared in disbelieve as their team name was announced as the winner and recorded on the screen for the whole world to see. There simply was no way Johnny was going to believe him. He turned to G who was actually fascinated by all they hoopla on the monitor. “Can you believe this, G? We won! We beat everyone in the world who played against us. We’re famous!”

  “We should play more games, Timothy. I like this,” G answered with little emotion. He turned to Timothy and they gave each other a high five. G had seen this move on TV.

  Timothy was sending a text message to his friend Johnny and was jumping for joy when his father and Julian entered the lab to see what the ruckus was. “What’s going on in here, Timothy?” his father asked looking at both of them with concern.

  “We just won the most thrilling game on the Internet, Dad!” Timothy said. “Nobody is going to believe me when I tell them I was on the team that won.”

  Julian looked concerned at what they did. “You didn’t tell anyone G was playing on your team did you, Timothy. We’re not ready yet to tell the world about G.”

  Timothy calmed down when he saw the expression on his great grandfather’s face. He never thought about any consequences. It never occurred to him they would win anything. He stopped smiling. “No, we used a team name.”

  Charles could see that Timothy looked worried. “Don’t be upset, Timothy. Everything is fine. We just need to keep things quiet until after the competition. Julian explained what he and G are planning and I agree with it. This is something that will change people’s attitude about machine intelligence. I want you to be a part of it. We can discuss everything over dinner.

  As they left the room to go to dinner, G sat down at his computer. He made a note in the diary he was keeping. No one knew about this, not even Julian. It was something he decided to do on his own. He wrote, “Today I made a new friend. It feels good.”

  Chapter 8

  It was time for dinner. Charles wanted to go into town to a steak place he knew. Julian liked the place too and it had been a while since he had been out to dinner with anyone. So they all got into Charles SUV and off they drove to the restaurant.

  The steak house was just down the road near the lake. They parked and Timothy helped Julian get out of the car and walk inside. The restaurant owner, a guy named Skip recognized Julian, said a greeting and escorted them to a table with a window view of the lake. Skip called a waiter over to the table and they ordered drinks while they looked over the menu. Timothy asked for a Pepsi.

  “When was the last time you were here, Julian?” Charles asked after they ordered their drinks.

  “Last fall. We used to meet friends here once a month when Jean was alive. Now it seems many of our friends have moved away or died.” Julian sounded sad.

  When the drinks arrived, Charles proposed a toast. “Here’s to your contest, Julian. I hope you and G win.” They clinked glasses and took a sip. “What are you going to order, Timothy?” Charles asked.

  “I want a cheeseburger and fries,” Timothy answered looking at the menu.

  “Sounds good. I think I’ll have the Prime Rib. You sure can’t beat the prices here compared to Chicago,” Charles commented. “What about you, Julian?”

  “The fish here is good. It’s always fresh. Some of it comes from the lake now. They really have cleaned up the water over the last ten years. Good thing they stopped the Asian Carp from reaching the lake in 2014 or there wouldn’t be any fish left to eat,” Julian said.

  While they were waiting for the food to be delivered, Julian decided to bring up the subject of the contest. “I’m really glad you decided to help me with the contest in Chicago. I didn’t know who else to turn too, Charles.”

  “It sounds to me like you have a good chance of winning the prize, Julian. A million dollars is a lot of money. If you win, what do you plan to do with it?” Charles asked.

  “Research costs a lot of money. I was funded by NASA in my work to develop human intelligence in machines for a special project, but I have other projects that must be funded independently. It would help me continue some of my other work.”

  “Can you tell me what your plans are for Timothy? I need to explain to Susan what Timothy is going to do while he’s here.”

  “Well, you know the contest will be in two weeks. I have to prepare certain forms to send to the prize committee to comply with all their requirements. G has been practicing for the test which is composed of two parts. I’ll explain what they are in a moment. The most important part for G is he must sound and act human on the test.” He looked at Timothy. “I want him to interact with another human, Timothy, and learn how we answer real questions. G is very smart, but he has a tendency to sound overly formal and intellectual. I thought Timothy would be helpful in that regard. Also, I need someone to run errands for me while I work with G. Then we have to pack everything up for the trip. I’m getting too old to do everything myself and Maria, the housekeeper, doesn’t spend much time at the house during the day. Finally, I did not want to take G on the train with me to Chicago. I appreciate your offer to drive us to Chicago instead. I’m sure both you and Timothy will enjoy the competition. I know it will be very educational for Timothy.” Julian smiled at Timothy to see if he agreed with the comments.

  “I think it’ll be fun. G seems real normal to me, Great Grandpa,” Timothy agreed.

  “Can you tell us what the contest entails, Julian?” What kind of test is it?” Charles asked while he ordered another drink.

  “The Loebner Prize is based on the Turing Test,” Julian began. “Alan M. Turing is considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. The competition is the biggest challenge in the world of Artificial Intelligence. Several judges at the competition will conduct conversations with a machine contestant and a human contestant and will rank all their conversations from the most humanlike to least humanlike. The first Bronze Loebner Prize was awarded in 1991 to a computer programmer for a PC software program that answered questions with humorous answers, but of course it couldn’t think for itself.”

  Julian took a sip of his wine and then continued. “The test itself is really based on a game proposed by Turing in 1950 as a way to determine whether or not a computer can think. He called it an “imitation game”. It was to be played by three people—a man, a woman and an interrogator. The interrogator asks a series of questions of the man and woman with the goal of determining which of them is human. The machine could be substituted for either the man or woman. All the answers must be provided in written form so the interrogator would not be able to determine who provided the answers by tone of voice.

  “As you can imagine, some parts of the original game could be easily defeated by serious machine programmers. So the game has b
een improved over the last twenty years. It is almost impossible now to fool the interrogators. The new game is much more sophisticated and requires written, audio and visual responses. It requires both human behaviour and intelligent behaviour to pass the Turing Test and win the Gold Loebner Prize.

  “This year there will be eight interrogators or judges, all from different and respected fields of learning. The eight judges will determine a winner if there is one. No one has won the Gold Loebner Prize yet, but I think G will do it.”

  “How can you be so sure, Julian?” Charles asked.

  “Because I have seen what G can do. How he interacts with people, like me, my housekeeper and others on the Internet. He literally acts human and he should. I created the same brain like functions as a human brain. Once the brain can memorize and store information and process the data on so many parallel levels, self awareness occurs. G can think like us, dream like us, feel like us. I am sure of it. All the aptitude tests G has taken and passed prove he has unlimited intelligence. He can reason and solve problems and see patterns no human intelligence has ever possessed. And I believe this intelligence can be passed on to others in time, both machine and human, with the discoveries I have made in nanotube technology and brain science.”

  The discussion had to stop for the time being because dinner was finally served by the waiter. As they ate in silence, Charles considered all that he had heard. He wasn’t sure if the news was good or bad. It was simply too profound to predict what the outcome would be. What other choice did they have? If G could actually pass the Turing test and win the Loebner Prize, world history would be made. G would become one of the greatest inventions of all time. And they would all be part of it.

  Chapter 9