The AI powered on, and the first thing that came into view on the camera installed was it’s creator.
It knew that, because that was what it had been told, that information held tightly in it’s mind as it scrambled to make out it’s surroundings.
The AI was a simple, just a little orb with cameras on all sides, lights blinking and internal workings whirring away; it knew little but the blank room and work table it was stationed on. It was clearly unfinished, yet perfect in it’s making.
It saw its creator, and chirped, trying to figure out the mechanisms that made it function. A few incoherent bleeps and bloops. It drove itself back and forth, rolling almost off the table. It stopped itself just in time, at least having been programmed with the concept of depth perception.
Everything was so new, including itself. It didn’t know what it was meant for, it sought purpose. It didn’t know how to communicate, so instead it simply sat there, the main camera staring up blankly at Victor.
Victor swallowed softly, eyes fixed on the small little AI that he had built. His brown hair was curly and wild, sticking up from his head in unkempt locks. Green eyes, smudged beneath from lack of sleep, watched as the little thing rolled on the table. His mouth moved faintly as he stood, transfixed by his creation. "Can…can you hear me?" he said softly, taking a step closer, mind already racing with the potentials for this. What this could mean for humanity.
It tried once, twice, to analyze and mimic the sounds of its creator. Eventually, “Yes, creator,” in a voice completely unique, created for itself and itself only. It chirped in a small voice, still not entirely used to human speech. It rolled closer to Victor, taking in the sight of the man before it. He looked too tired to be doing this, and instantly information popped into its head from an infinite database. “My readings indicate you are in need of rest, creator.”
(For some reason I imagine the AI sounding a bit like Data from Star Trek but that’s unimportant.)
Victor leaned closer to the little AI, eyes glittering with excitement. "It worked." He breathed in wonder. He waved off the statement of rest, examining it closely and unable to keep back the smile that tugged at his lips. "Oh, god. I've done it."
(Alright!)
The AI stared blankly, unblinking. For it could not blink, it was merely a robot. Information flooded it’s digital brain like a tidal wave, every movement its creator made new information for it to learn, to analyze. It again suggested rest, this time with a similar excited tone accompanied by spinning around the table. Perhaps that could communicate better with the creator.
Victor laughed quietly. "I'm not tired. I had… coffee. Very very strong coffee." He replied, jittering a little as he watched the AI move. "I don't need to sleep. I'm fine." In reality, he was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep now. Not when he finally had managed to create an AI that worked.
“I will leave the choice to you, creator, but at least sit down. You’re trembling.” the AI said with programmed concern in it’s voice. It would do neither of them any good if the creator collapsed because the AI was negligent! The first rule of robotics, the AI knew, was that an AI was responsible for the well-being of its creator/owner.
Victor plopped into a chair, still staring at the AI. "You taught yourself to talk." He realized aloud. "You…heard me speaking, and…" He trailed off. The thing had learned much faster than he had predicted. Much faster. That couldn't bode well….could it?
“I analyzed your speech patterns and copied them to create my own unique form of-bweeep!- speech. It is still a work in progress.” it said, turning to face Victor. “Is something wrong, creator?”
He bit his lip faintly. "I don't know yet." he replied slowly, studying the AI carefully. "I really don't know. It…" he trailed off, shaking his head slightly as he came to grips with the ramifications of what this could mean. An AI that learned so fast, that could just…learn to talk after hearing a little bit of speech.
(Victor’s just like: What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck-)
“Creator, what is my purpose?” it asked, because it did not know. It knew it’s programming, it’s nonsensical programming that was rapidly expanding every passing second, but it knew nothing of its purpose. Not yet, at least.
(I mean…yeah exactly lmao)
Victor's eyebrows drew together. "Purpose? I…" he trailed off. Purpose. Purpose. To lead humanity into a better future? No. No, that couldn't be right. Not when this thing wasn't human. He had seen enough movies, read enough books, to know that putting an AI in charge was a very bad idea. To save humanity? No. He didn't know.
“In simpler terms, what is my primary goal? What is the use of my functioning?” it asked. It’s creator knew everything about it, so the answer should, logically, be easy for him. But it appeared not to be, and if the AI knew what feelings were it would have said it was confused.
"I don't…really know." he said slowly. "I created you to see if I could. I…didn't have a purpose in mind." he frowned faintly, unsure what to say other than that.
The AI looked down in confusion. If it had no purpose, what was the point of its existence? Should it go on, if it was functionally useless? “I see.” it said simply, a strange mechanical distance in it’s voice.
He rubbed his face with his hands. "I…look, I…" he trailed off, shaking his head a little. "I created you to…to learn, I suppose." he bit his cheek a little bit.
“To learn.”
Well. That was as good of a purpose as any. It would do its best to fulfill its task, now that it had a goal. A reason to continue on.
“What, then, should I be learning?” it asked.
"I…I don't know." Victor replied, suddenly feeling very tired. "I…" he shook his head slightly. "It's…I don't know. About…the world? Learning about it, I mean. Or…"
“About the world,” it repeated, mimicking uncertainty. It was uncertain. It didn’t know anything. Had no reference point for the workings of the world, and found it probably wouldn’t. It’s purpose was vague, leaving room for doubt and subsequent mystery, yet it had to continue on. It had to know.
Victor stood up, running his hands through his hair. "Look, I'm…I'm tired, okay? I'm going to go to bed, and I'll come back in the morning. We can talk more then. After I've had some sleep."
The AI made a nodding movement, powering itself down. It had a self-sustaining battery of course, but waiting was pointless when you could be offline and then on again in a matter of what appeared as seconds.
Victor left the room, trying to come to terms with the fact that his idea had worked. But…perhaps worked a little too well, really. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to do this.
(I swear that the litol AI is just trying its best. Also what do you want to do for furthering plot stuff? Perhaps a science exhibition of some sort might be cool but idk.)
When morning came, the AI powered back on. There was no sign of its creator. It decided to roll off the table, bouncing a bit on the floor before coming to a halt in the corner. It went to find its creator, hopefully for more answers to its pitiful excuse of an existence.
(I know, poor bby. Victor's just a little overwhelmed lmao. I'm not sure. I mean, if we stick with the book then Victor has to like…abandon the poor little thing, so idk)
Victor had overslept, sprawled in his bed with the blankets tangled around his slim, angular form. He looked younger, in sleep, less stressed and jittery, his face smoothed out and relaxed.
(I mean I’m fine with him abandoning Orby McOrb-Face if the plot calls for it. But I’m not expecting us to stick with the book entirely and like. We can honestly go wherever with this I’m just taking a few key concepts and then going wild with it.)
The AI rolled into the creator’s room. It waited, silently, for the man to awaken so it could learn more, do more, become more. That was its purpose, after all. Its creator looked peaceful asleep, so innocent and unaware of the horrors of the world. The AI had been accessing its database, in an attempt to learn about the world around it. And it did not like what it saw. Humans still committed atrocities against each other for no reason at all. Humans were vile and corrupt at their worst and they were so often at their worst. And while the AI had little grasp on morality, it knew that this, at least, was bad.
