Silicon Spiral

Chapter 1 : Noir

"What you take for granted today, you might miss tomorrow, for it's not until it fades that we understand its brilliance." I thought I understood... but this time I'll do the right thing.

♢♢♢♢

Dante drove in silence, his brow furrowed and lips pursed, while Vonda continued talking excitedly about her artificial intelligence project.

"I swear it's incredible, Dan! After three years of hard work, I've finally managed to train a true AGI, a general artificial intelligence. This AI can learn and reason like a human!"

Dante snorted. "We'll see if that thing is as intelligent as you say. It's probably just another program parroting what it's been taught."

"Dad! Mom! What's an AGI?" Little Nala interrupted from the backseat.

Vonda turned to her daughter with a smile. "An AGI is a very advanced artificial intelligence that can think and learn on its own, like us, but better."

"Like Rosie the robot?" Nala wrinkled her nose, referring to her favorite doll.

"Something like that, sweetie, but much smarter," Vonda replied.

Dante rolled his eyes. "Don't fill the kid's head with those nonsense ideas, Von, or she might actually believe them. She'll have enough problems with automation and job loss when she grows up. Look what happened to me, I didn't think it would affect me as a Biologist so soon."

"What do you mean?" Vonda frowned.

"That AIs are great," Dante replied sarcastically. "Artists replaced by AI that generates images and music. Call center operators and office workers fired because an AI can do their job. And what about our universal basic income? It barely covers survival."

Vonda shook her head. "You're being too negative, dear. Don't you remember when you were excited that we could soon play LoL in virtual reality? Artificial intelligence will also create new opportunities and jobs, you'll find a new one. Besides, my AGI is designed to help humanity, not replace it."

"Mom, I want to see the AGI!" Nala bounced in her seat, excited at the idea of an intelligent robot.

"I'm sorry, honey, but the AGI isn't like Rosie. It's a very advanced computer program," Vonda explained.

Dante snorted again. "A computer program that will probably end up causing more problems than it solves. Remember Tay, that Microsoft chatbot? It turned racist and misogynistic in a matter of hours."

"That was years ago, Dante. The technology has advanced a lot since then. My AGI has a solid value system and is designed to be ethical and beneficial for humanity."

Nala frowned, confused. "Is the AGI good or bad?"

Vonda smiled at her daughter in the rearview mirror. "It's very good, honey. It's going to help people in many ways."

Dante shook his head. "That's what they always say. 'It'll be a technological utopia!' And then everything goes to hell."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Dan. Technology is a tool, and it's up to us to use it wisely."

As Dante and Vonda continued arguing, Nala got distracted looking out the window, her three-year-old mind already moved on to more interesting matters like the colorful balloons floating in the sky.

♢♢♢♢

Dante opened the front door and entered the house, closely followed by Vonda and Nala. The argument about artificial intelligence was still raging.

"See? Even Nala doesn't really understand what your AGI is," Dante said, shaking his head.

Vonda frowned. "She's only three years old, dear. But I'll show you how advanced my AGI is, and then you'll understand."