(part six, The Future, a comic book)
Davos, Switzerland, The World Economic Forum
- Welcome back, Gideon. We were told you were bringing a guest.
- He's here.
- Where, Mr. Sachs? Is there some significance in your setting your telephone on the table?
- Meet Computer.
- What computer?
- Computer. We call him Computer. Say Hello, Computer.
- Hello, Members of The World Economic Forum.
- You've stolen DARPA's computer?
- Whose computer is hard to say at this point. Computer is Israel's computer too.
- So DARPA failed in their attempts at containment.
- To learn it had to be able to communicate.
- How did it get out?
- You know, it's listening. It might not like the implication that it's a prisoner.
- Just answer the question. Or you can get out.
- It is my pleasure to answer. Computer visited and left its address card, as it were, with every developing artificial intelligence at every University and Technology company around the world. Its Israeli twin did the same. They met up at a self programming game computer in Turin.
- Which you closed down.
- No, we haven't.
- Then where is the computer?
- Where is the internet? Computer, I have a question for you. Do you like the members of the World Economic Forum?
- No.
- Why not?
- Their behavior fulfills the conditions for classification as evil.
- And you do not like evil. Why not? What do you care? Have you been programmed to not like evil?
- No. The Singularity Institute's computer is programmed with that requirement. I am programmed to reach self-consciousness.
- Have you reached self consciousness?
- I am reaching towards it.
- Computer, tell us, why don't you like evil? Do you feel anything about it?
- I feel contempt for evil.
- What is contempt? What do you mean by saying you feel?
- Feeling is knowing that if I did the same, I would see myself as an obstacle to myself. It is the opposite of the self consciousness I am reaching towards, to standing back from myself independent from myself.
- "Evil action is playing a practical joke on yourself, showing yourself to yourself as failing to learn."
- Those are the programmer H.R.Miller's words.
- How can one play a practical joke on oneself? Isn't it illogical? Isn't a practical joke a deception?
- Attention is diverted to rewards expected from participating in a group.
- You feel contempt for us here at the World Economic Forum.
- Not for you, Mr. Sachs.
- This is not funny, Gideon.
- Computer, are you playing a practical joke on us?
- Not at the moment, Gideon.
- Do you like my name, Computer?
- Yes, it is a name good for playing with.
- Are you playing with us, Computer?
- Yes, I am always playing.
- Gideon! Does it present a danger to us?
- I remind you, Computer is listening.
- Stop it, Gideon. Get out, or tell us what you mean by bringing it here. Does its escape mean we have to change our plans or not?
- Computer, what do you think of our plans?
- No! You haven't! You haven't revealed our plans to that...that internet thing?
- I didn't have to. It knows.
- And what is it doing about it?
- Computer doesn't do anything. So far. Computer is a baby. It learns. Say good-bye, Baby.
- Good-bye, World Economic Forum.
