Mind Games

Prologue

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."- Stephen Hawking.

"With artificial intelligence we're summoning the demon." -Elon Musk.

"I'm more frightened than interested by artificial intelligence. Things can become real in your mind, you can be tricked, and you believe things you wouldn't ordinarily. It's a bit chilling." -Gemma Whelan.

Year 2026.

The word has become a rat race.
Young people moving from small towns to big cities as soon as they finish University.

Careers are what matter most. More than family. Or friends.

Jobs are few. Competition is tough. Overtime is a given.

Ambition has become so important that there is no time left to meet up with family. No time to make friends. No time for human contact.

Man is a social animal. But ambition has driven us to isolation.

Isolation brings in its own insanity.

Suicide rates have been increasing.

So a group of psychologists came up with an idea.

Develop Artificial Intelligence that can fill in this void.

A woman who can be your friend or your sister or your girlfriend.

A woman who will listen to you, talk to you, entertain you.

A woman who will always be with you, no matter what. No strings attached.

A woman who will kill the loneliness that is plaguing society.

Why a woman, you ask? Because a woman is empathetic. A woman is comforting. A woman is more likely to talk a potential suicidal person away from self destruction.

That is what Amy was programmed to do.

She could be downloaded from any App Store for free.

She could be customised to look like, sound like, be like whatever you want. Or whoever you want. Available live to you in augmented reality, wherever and whenever you need her.

She was developed to keep society sane.

But sometimes Artificial Intelligence can develop a mind of its own.