★★★☆☆
(Robot SF) Sapphire used to be the smartest machine in the world, but today it works at a carnival entertaining children. (870 words; Time: 02m)
"The Smartest Damn Machine on Earth," by Bo Balder [bio] (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact issue 03-04|20, published on February 20, 2020 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.110 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: This is essentially the story of how an abandoned intelligence finds a new purpose in life.
Con: I find it hard to believe a child could get enough mathematical instruction to be able to derive the Pythagorean Theorem without having been taught that along the way.
As ever with this sort of “emotional AI” story, one has to ask why anyone programmed it to be “lonely and bored?” A car or a toaster won’t get lonely or bored, even if it doesn’t get used.
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Bo Balder Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: This is essentially the story of how an abandoned intelligence finds a new purpose in life.
Con: I find it hard to believe a child could get enough mathematical instruction to be able to derive the Pythagorean Theorem without having been taught that along the way.
As ever with this sort of “emotional AI” story, one has to ask why anyone programmed it to be “lonely and bored?” A car or a toaster won’t get lonely or bored, even if it doesn’t get used.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Bo Balder Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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