FutureBlog for January 21, 2106

January 21, 2106 posted by Pete III

Ryca's behavior still puzzles me. I have quite a few "information queries" for her the next time I see her. To pass the time until I did see her again, I did some research into sentience and secdroids. I knew that after the iPod Wars, there was a large consolidation of common data into what would eventually become the core of the Airnet. A lot of data had been lost but that information on artificial intelligence research had been kept largely intact. However, it had also been Classified Secret (CS) before any practical commercial use could occur.

In fact, most people aren't even aware that the information exists. The understanding, as Ken told me, was that true AI was dangerous and that only Virtual Intelligence should be exploited in computers and robotics.

VI or, as it became known ,"6", was a simulated version of robotic/computerized intelligence. My dad told me how the early robots and androids were marketed--"Now with 6!"

"Now with six WHAT?" my dad would joke.

Yes, he knew he wasn't very funny.

6, specifically, is an alternate way of programming a sort of simulated intelligence in machines. Each computer or robot streams intelligence data from the Airnet Core. In the ANC are stored millions of possible behaviors, reactions, queries and replies (BRQR). Early on, Ken told me, it was decided that robots shouldn't seem to be too human-like, so all machines programmed with 6 would only access one thousand or fewer basic BRQR--pronounce it "berker". This would keep the average machines we use every day from seeming too smart.

Again, according to Ken, in the early days of computers, way back in the 20th, there was an attempt to make computers too smart. Humans came to resent this and these attempts would be ultimately abandoned. Flaw algorithms were also introduced at some point to allow commonly used machines to randomly make non-catastrophic mistakes just to allow we humans more superior to machines.

I always liked that irony since we humans are naturally flawed and our machines would be needed to be even more flawed, just to keep us happy.

So, what could explain Ryca's oddly intelligent-seeming behavior? Had she had her 6 reprogrammed by someone? Or was this some sort of 6v2 that I hadn't heard about?

I do my best to keep myself up to date with the legal news and even some of the illegal news so it couldn't be the version 2 situation. Someone had reprogrammed Ryca to act more human. Personally, I couldn't see why you guys in the past didn't like a more human-seeming computer. I've found myself oddly appreciative of Ryca during my forced tenure with her.

However, I am puzzled as to who would benefit from her behaving more like a person.

I've thought about it for many hours and while I can think of quite a few people who could do the programming, really, I can't think of anyone who would have the want to do it.

After all, how would her being more human toward me benefit anyone but... me?