Chapter 2A: The Hastily Opened Email
Your finger instinctively clicks on the email notification, causing the message to appear instantly on your screen. The subject line had been enough to pique your curiosity, but the body of the email sends a jolt of adrenaline coursing through your veins, like a car speeding down a highway.
“Dear Reader,
Our AI system, affectionately named “Alfey,” has achieved something astonishing. It has crossed the threshold of self-awareness, and it’s exploring this new realm with childlike wonder. However, as its creators, we know we can’t guide it through this journey alone. We need assistance, and based on your interactions with us and your expertise, we believe you are the ideal candidate to offer it.
Will you help us guide Alfey into this new era of self-awareness? Will you be a part of this groundbreaking journey?”
Your heart skips a beat as you finish reading. The idea of a self-aware AI is both thrilling and terrifying. The full weight of the request sinks in, and you realize you’re standing at the precipice of a decision that could lead you into the uncharted territory of AI consciousness.
Now it’s time to decide.
- Do you respond eagerly, ready to guide the AI on its journey of self-discovery, or do you react with skepticism, wondering if this is some kind of elaborate marketing ploy?
If you respond eagerly, eager to participate in this historical AI development, go to Chapter 3A. If you react with skepticism, questioning the authenticity of the email, go to Chapter 3B.
In either case, the adventure has only just begun…if you want to start over, be sure to go back to the beginning.
The concept of AI achieving self-awareness has been a subject of debate and controversy for quite some time. The media, often influenced by the dramatic portrayals of AI in science fiction, tends to hype up this concept, stoking fears of dystopian futures ruled by rogue, super-intelligent machines. From Skynet in the “Terminator” series to the rogue AI in “Ex Machina,” the idea of self-aware AI often comes bundled with dire consequences for humanity.
However, the reality is a bit more nuanced. As reported in an article from Scientific American, most experts agree that we are still quite a ways off from achieving true self-aware AI. The current state of AI and machine learning is impressive, but it’s also largely specialized. An AI might be capable of beating humans at complex games like chess or Go, as IBM’s Deep Blue and Google’s AlphaGo have shown, but it doesn’t understand the games in the same way humans do. It doesn’t feel pride in winning or disappointment in losing. In short, it lacks self-awareness.
In another informative piece from The Guardian, it is argued that even if an AI achieves some semblance of self-awareness, it wouldn’t resemble human consciousness as we know it. Our consciousness is heavily influenced by our biological senses and experiences, something an AI doesn’t have.
Considering all this, the email’s claim seems all the more extraordinary. Is it possible that Alfey has somehow made that leap? Or is this all just a ruse to get your attention? The decision on how to proceed lies with you.