How to Think Like a Computer

May 6

I read a book called Flowers for Algernon. It's very interesting, given it was written a long time ago. I'm glad I read it because it gave me an idea of what someone else's mind is like. I'm usually not very good at seeing things from other people's perspectives. The book also gave me the idea to put dates on my writing.

I was listening to the news this morning when Mom drove with me to school in the maglev. There are very few cars in this country that still use wheels. Most of them use magnetic levitation. Almost all of them are fully electric, as well. Mom has a hybrid. Hybrid maglevs are uncommon. Mom wants to get a different car.

On the news, Ian Caulkins was talking about his decision to stop holding the Loebner prize. I don't like his voice either. It's slightly nasal and it annoys me. He also has a British accent, which annoys me too. I don't like it when people speak weirdly. I don't care about people's race or ethnicity; I just don't like accents.

"We have decided," Ian Caulkins said, "to hold a sort of Turing test, but it won't be the Loebner prize. Instead, all creators of chatbots who believe their artificial intelligence may be the some of the best on the planet will be required to present their programs to test for strong AI using a modified version of the Turing test.

"There will be no prize, but if we find someone who has created strong AI, the government has agreed to take part in their arrest for the creation of a potentially dangerous entity. Strong AI is against humanity, and we must join together to stop it. Remember, the Singularity is near."

Mom whistled. I'm not sure why. Then she said, "That Caulkins guy. He's messing up the government."

"They're messing up everything," I said.

She said: "I just think they're going too far with this Singularity idea. I mean, I don't want artificial intelligence to destroy Earth, but—"

"Artificial intelligence will not destroy Earth!" I yelled because it was true.

"There's a possibility," Mom said.

I said: "Yes, but that's not important."

She said: "Maybe Caulkins has a point."

I said: "He's stupid and his ideas don't make any sense!"

She said: "I know it's hard for you to understand other opinions, Torrin—"

Then we were at school, so I got out.

*

An important thing that happened at school was that I met Cecil. He's the boy with Asperger's Syndrome in the special education class. At lunch we were both sitting at the same table. We were both reading. I was reading I, Robot for the fourth time. He was reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.

I've read that too. I liked it because the main character was a lot like me. Maybe that was why Cecil was reading it. So I asked him because I was curious. I don't often start conversations.

"Do you like that book?" I asked.

Cecil paused, then said, "Yes."

I said: "I like the main character."

He said: "Me too."

I said: "Are you Cecil?"

He said: "Yes. Are you Torrin? Do you have Asperger's Syndrome too?"

I said yes, that both of his statements were true. I was excited. But I didn't want to talk anymore, so I kept reading. He didn't say anything else, so I think that meant he didn't want to talk either.

After school, I worked on a Java++ program. I didn't have any homework because it's almost the end of the school year. It didn't work very well. I was tempted to throw something in my frustration, but I didn't because I don't like when things break. So I did algebra instead. I like algebra, but we don't do a lot of it in ninth grade, so I asked the teacher to give me some extra problems. She did, and I like to work on them.

I didn't want to go to sleep at ten, so I went downstairs to look at the television news, but Ian Caulkins was talking, so I shut off the holographic screen and went to bed.