plotsforall:
Plot # 26: Artificial Affection
It’s the year 2050 and technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, exceeding the vision and capabilities of countless scientists from previous decades. Artificial Intelligence is the buzz word on the lips on government officials as well as the everyday citizen. Robots have become part of daily life; delivering mail, performing home cleaning services, automating the task of driving a car and so much more. In this new era, artificially intelligent beings serve the purpose of making human life easier and more pleasurable. Muse A is a lonely beta tester, whose primary job is to test run androids (robots with human appearance) before they are shipped out for sale to the public. Muse A isn’t the best at social relationships, so they much prefer to spend time with androids who can communicate and interact without judgment or need of social convention. When Muse A is asked to test a new android prototype (Muse B), Muse A is amazed at how advanced Muse B is. Muse B seems unique, learning at a pace more rapid than their predecessors, able to somehow intuit feelings of the user, gradually able to mirror human emotions: anger, sorrow, even love. As Muse A continues to “test” Muse B, the pair become attached to one another. Every day that goes by with Muse A noting the android’s progress, Muse B begins to feel more and more..human.
What will happen if/when the beta tester is asked to return the prototype? Can an evolved android become capable of actual love, or are Muse B’s feelings merely a convincing simulation?
