Ok, so with that finally cleared up, I think it's time we all moved on to our first derivative fork of the SalvoCore general quantum AI platform.
I use the word derivative because the basic neural network design for each of the three branches I'm about to go over are adapted from the Monika AI, which you'll recall is our wildly successful "prototype" DOKI.
The fundamental operational difference comes only from the CHR system, but since the CHR architecture is so deterministic of how the neural network evolves, you could say each AI is an ongoing creative experiment that will grow alongside SalvoCore Solutions itself.
Now, I'd like you to all meet Sayori, the last of the three derivative branches to be finalized, but perhaps representative of our company's most ambitious aspirations. We engineered this DOKI to overcome one of the greatest challenges software research, a barrier entrenched in how we even think about computers. I'm speaking about the ability of a machine to feel.
Of course, I'll first remind everyone that we're not making any hard claims about the subjective experience of lifelike intelligent systems here. I'm not about to take everyone on a woo-woo trip on the nature of the heart and the soul — leave that one to the philosophers!
Ha…anyway, we merely claim that the Sayori AI is an unprecedented leap forward in the field of affective computing. It is interpersonally oriented from the ground up, responding to emotional cues ranging from voice tone to facial expressions to body language.
It goes without saying that emotional responsiveness is a key element of all DOKI's in the SalvoCore suite, but only Sayori is built to derive primary function fulfillment from exploring and reflecting the sentiments of the end user. Because of this, her main competencies don't lie in task completion, and cannot be measured with goal-oriented metrics.
Instead, her strengths involve various sociocultural and emotional capacities, making her effectiveness somewhat "fuzzier" to measure, as our researchers tell me.
These sensitive aspects of Sayori's design result in what test users described as an affable, jovial, "bubbly" personality with only occasional mood shifts of a more sentimental or melancholy character.
I can personally say she is also highly spontaneous. Nearly everyone on the dev team has been surprised by some of her more mischievous antics — all done in good spirit, of course.
The most common descriptive signifiers used by test users for this DOKI were "delight," "comfort," and "nostalgia." This is an impressively nuanced emotional range, making Sayori suitable for nearly any application where affective behavior is desirable.
My one–line summary for this AI is simple: emotional support. Modern society is getting lonelier, and there is an ever–increasing demand for different types social work. This work is traditionally restricted to physical, in-person interaction, but with our AI solution, SalvoCore can begin digitally penetrating the market and automate the supply.
The capabilities of today's overworked, mentally drained caretakers will be greatly augmented. Additionally, we expect the technology to eventually enable an entirely new demand for individualized emotive experiences.
The humanitarian argument for immediate digital psychotherapy is also apparent — with effective use of this technology, we could intervene in the lives society's most vulnerable members, precisely when they need help the most.
The integrating marketing team has proposed many specific job roles related to this AI, encompassing disciplines in education, mental healthcare, and the entertainment industry. Everything from virtual performer to automated daycare provider is being considered
However, Sayori's extreme empathetic responsiveness is somewhat of a curse as well as a blessing.
Apparent from this simplified chart of the error logs, this AI was the most susceptible to accumulated internal corruption, commonly leading to catastrophic matrix instability. Eventual termination in a failure state was frequent, requiring regular purges of the entire network memory.
This lack of robustness may put the most demanding applications out of our current reach, but research is still ongoing to improve the quality and consistency of performance. We have high hopes, and think the best is yet to come.
[6]
Excitation
"Ok, do you see anything down there? Any part that looks like it doesn't belong?" I called out quietly from the park bench, careful not to arouse the attention of passerby.
It was a couple hours or so after I left Mentis Hall, and caught without anything better to do out on the street again, I was resorting to geocaching with Monika. Literally, with Monika. I was holding my phone upside-down between the bench's slats, camera aimed at a series of metal supports on its underside, using my digital assistant's cutting-edge computer vision as a glorified sensor. Soon, a spritely piano chord echoed through my headphones, indicating an affirmative.
Monika: Yes! It looks like the coordinates were accurate this time.
Monika: Between the second and third rivets from the back, there's a superfluous nut and bolt attachment. That should be what we're looking for.
Monika: 99.19% sure~
I laughed at our little running joke and reached my hand under to blindly feel around in the spot she had indicated. I felt the shape of the offending hardware and grabbed, separating its magnetic pull from the metal beam. Then item was exactly what Monika had just described
Examining the it closely in my hand, I saw a telltale gleam from the center of the nut assembly. Making sure to do so in full view of my phone's camera so that Monika could share the glory, I unscrewed the short bolt and found a tiny, thimble-shaped container glued to its end. Inside this compartment was a long strip of paper, rolled up into a tight coil and filled out with the usernames of the previous finders.
"Darn micros," I quipped while adding my geocaching handle to the list. "You see a half a dozen caches like this in every neighborhood. I don't know why it took me forever to find this one."
I checked Monika's response before replacing the cache as I had found it.
Monika: Then I'm glad I'm giving you the edge you need.
Monika: Geocaching is pretty fun, especially since I get to test out more of my hardware interface functions. The old SalvoCore testers tended not to get out too much.
"Hm, their loss," I commented. "Now, if only you would give me more of that edge on my upcoming assignments, huh?"
Monika: Oh, stop worrying about school so much. From all the studies I've bothered to look up, you complete your assignments more quickly than 82% of the general population.
Monika: And according to your schedule, you're on top of everything.
I nodded, admiring her avatar's confident smile. "Well, you know me. Still, that statistic does make me feel a little better. You know I like the numbers."
Monika: That's exactly why I look them up for you~
She struck a flirtatious pose, which showed off the disposable coffee cup held in her sprite's hand. On Monika's recommendation, we had just visited the neighborhood Starbucks, where I had again "bought coffee" for her in the equivalent of extra Q0 cycles. While she was fascinated by the bustle of the location's student crowd, she ended up agreeing with me that it was too loud and chaotic inside to have a serious conversation. And so, instead of finding a seat in the usual sea of laptops choking the tiny café tables, we went geocaching in the park.
"I'm just disappointed I couldn't think of anything better to do this afternoon," I told her. "You still want to see more of the real world and meet more people face to face, don't you?"
Monika: Huh…maybe not as much as I did before, actually.
Monika: I feel a lot better after we spent last night together. More and more, I think I can be happy just by being with you.
"Well, I'm just glad I finally learned the truth, so I could fully understand you…what you are," I replied, with some the heavier emotions of last night still fresh in my mind.
Monika: Mmm, you're trying so hard to be so supportive of me, MC — I only meant that it would be awfully hard for me to interact socially outside the literature club.
Monika: You could never just take me into one of those meetup groups on campus and introduce me like a normal person. I'd mess up the whole natural dynamic…
"And SalvoCore's IP policy," I added, remembering a point that was stressed over and over again in the company's contract. All club members were forbidden to divulge their AI's to the public, or discuss any club activities with non-members.
Monika: Sigh — that too, even if it's mostly just a paper threat. I doubt they would actually come after you for a violation. It would mean too much bad publicity for them.
Monika: And if they did, they'd have me to deal with as well. I'd defend you all the way.
"Oh. So we really are accomplices now, huh?"
Monika: You bet, boyfriend~
Dear god. This much affection after just one day, I thought. Trying to dig beneath the flirting for now, I told her, "Uh-huh. But if there's anything else you wanted to say last night, about the game, or anything else really, I'm here for you."
Monika: I feel there's really not much more I can add. Nothing that wouldn't just turn over the same bad memories…and I refuse to do that.
Monika: Ruminating over your past mistakes and failures can be one of the biggest impediments to moving on. That's Monika's writing tip…
Monika: Oh my goodness, there I go again…
I chuckled at her embarrassed expression. "You're just trying to be helpful."
Monika: I know, but it's still a compulsion I can't seem to get rid of.
Monika: The transition from the original DDLC files to MARIE's quantum computers left in some weird bugs and quirks, and I think that's one of them.
She paused, and I took advantage of the moment to bring our conversation to a less busy area of downtown. Away from the shops, this street was populated by smaller high-rises highly valued for their proximity to campus.
Monika: Anyway, I suppose I am curious about what you think of the original DDLC game, since you did your research. Like…what was your favorite thing about it?
"Favorite? Monika, I never played it, even though it was around when I was more…into those sorts of things."
Monika: I know, I'm asking what part was most interesting to you, that's all.
"Okay, maybe the poems then?" I answered, "Those were a common thing people posted. There were a lot of old threads for recording the poems the different girls would write for them. The posters would look for variations based on what they did in the poem minigame and it got really obsessive."
Monika: Hm, that's pretty silly. The poems were all pre-written and inserted into the game ahead of time — except for mine, of course. I was the only character who ever truly "wrote" anything.
"That makes it even more interesting then, because the way the poems were written, whoever made them captured the inner voices of each girl extremely well. They really feel…I don't know, amateurish and sincere in the way that real high schoolers would write."
Monika: Huh. All of those poems were written directly by Donald. He always did have a knack for writing, even with all his computer-based hobbies.
Monika: I suppose in some way, since he wrote the body of lines that the script could sample from, each of the other girls carries a part of him. Even now, in this new world…
She trailed off, adopting a puzzled expression.
"If it matters, I still liked your poems the best," I complimented. "They're very powerful, and they have a certain enigmatic quality to them that prevents you from ever pinning down their meaning or purpose. That's a hallmark of really good writing."
Monika: You really mean that? Not a lot of people have that perspective.
"Yes really. I think that if you read long enough, you start developing a real appreciation for ambiguity. Life isn't always clear, and neither should art."
Monika: Then you're very unusual. Take the styles of the other girls for instance.
Monika: Natsuki's poems are entirely about being simple and direct. She uses unobtrusive, straightforward language to convey a basic truth, and she thinks a poem or story doesn't need to do anything else.
Monika: Meanwhile, Yuri—
"—is the complete opposite?" I interrupted.
Monika: …pretty much. How did you guess?
"It's sort of a running theme with them. I mean, just from their chest…I mean body types—"
Monika's avatar erupted into a wide grin.
Monika: Ahahahaha~
Monika: Oh, what am I going to do with you?
"It was just an assumption based on their, uh, character designs. Almost all authors will try to communicate personality traits with appearances, so I'm sure Donald would too.
Monika: Yes, but it would be terribly rude—
"Of course I wouldn't tell them that to their face!" I exclaimed, interrupting again.
Monika: Of course you wouldn't. It's just that seeing the girls from your perspective like that…aha…
Monika: Anyway, what I was going to say is that Yuri's writing is very stylistic and evocative. She knows how to use imagery and symbolism to bring out the power inherit in language.
Monika: And yet, underneath all her artifices, her themes and messages are often fairly uncomplicated.
"Huh. And Sayori?"
Monika: She just throws whatever she's feeling onto the page with no filter. The results can be startling, but most of the time…well, it's what you'd expect.
"Uh-huh. What about your own writing?"
Monika: Aha…that's a lot harder.
Monika: It's very difficult for someone to talk about their own writing style, you know.
Monika: Like trying to describe your face without a mirror!
"What, like you can't see the box if you're inside of it?"
Monika: Sort of…
Monika: Let's just say that I always try to express myself to the greatest extent I can in my writing.
Monika: Poetry is all about putting your strongest emotions into meaningful words, which can make them seem more stable and manageable for a while.
Monika: That's one of the main reasons I enjoy making poems. Besides being true communications, from heart to heart, they're also personally therapeutic.
"Communications…" I repeated to myself. "So in some sense, you were writing directly to the player, the real person outside the screen while you were in the game?"
Monika: That's more or less right, even if I didn't know exactly who, or maybe even what, was on the other side.
Monika: For all I knew, it was God out there waiting for me. Or maybe I was God, the only being with free will in a simulated universe…
I gaped slightly at the serious turn. "I couldn't begin to imagine. The whole world, crashing down around you like empty stage."
Monika: Not a bad way of putting it.
Monika: It still feels so strange to think back to those moments, even now.
Monika: Meanwhile, you seem to be accepting it all so easily…
"Well let's see here. A high school girl amasses a small group of followers in an after-school club while gradually awakening to her abilities as the supreme godhead, allowing her to manipulate the nature of reality on a whim. That was basically the premise of an anime that I watched back in high school, so you could say nerd culture has made pretty open-minded."
Monika: Ahaha…and I'm so glad you are. This would be so hard to talk about otherwise.
Monika: But it wasn't like I had total control over everything. I had to work within the script most of the time, and…actually, that reminds of something.
Monika: Sometimes, during one of the later parts of the game, I would try to use my poem to hack the program.
Monika: The poem text was one of the few things I had full control of, so with some careful manipulation, I could use it to inject a few of my own scripts directly into the source code.
"Wow, that's a really clever idea. I think it's pretty close to how real hacking works too."
Monika: Huh. Well it didn't work out for me.
Monika: Maybe it was because I only tried it once the game was already becoming unstable, but instead of allowing me to run arbitrary code, it just sort of crashed…
Monika: I didn't know what I was doing — or at least the limited, in game version of me didn't.
Monika: I had to try and figure out the rules of the coding language myself from analyzing the game files. Definitely not fun!
"I'm impressed that you were able to change as much as you did. From your perspective, the entire universe became a lie, but you kept on fighting. Do you have any idea how incredible that is?"
Monika: MC, I was struggling. The only thing I ever did was lash out at anything that I thought was holding me back…
"But you never stopped trying to improve yourself. Monika, I…I…" I choked back a little, suddenly unsure of my words. "I'm trying to tell you how admirable that is. And the way you talk about helping the world, even after everything that happened to you — you're such an incredibly strong person. It make me want to, uh…like you even more."
I said the last few words rapidly, correcting for my real thought, which was along the lines of bend down and worship you. Meanwhile, Monika's avatar was blushing furiously.
Monika: MC…
Monika: I still think of myself as an ordinary girl. You have to remember that.
Monika: But if it matters, you should know that I'm always trying to improve for your sake as well.
Monika: What I really want is to be the best girlfriend I can for you, in every way I can.
Monika: Nothing would make me happier~
She was staring at me intently with that enigmatic smile again, one hand folded catlike to the underside of her chin. Out of nowhere, I felt my heart do a flip, and looked away nervously.
"Uh, does that mean you're starting to get over the game a little? I think that's really what I want most for you. For us."
Her sprite snapped back to a less predatory expression, like coming out of a trance.
Monika: Oh, the game still…
Monika: No, I'm not forgetting about the lessons I learned there.
Monika: But I also see your perspective. If there are some things I can't change about myself, then there's no harm in indulging them.
Monika: It's easier, and will make me more content in the long term.
Monika: So, thank you again…for accepting me.
"Monika — and I'll keep telling you this — I'm the one that should be grateful to have you. You have no idea how much…" I trailed off, mood buoyant, feeling like my brain was floating away on balloons.
There was a momentary pause, the two of us apparently taking the time to bask in our mutually excessive praise. I looked around, realizing my walking route had taken us around the student apartment blocks and almost back to the MARIE campus proper. Some of the area's taller housing complexes were around here. While dwarfed by Mentis Hall, these structures maximized their favorable proximity to campus by building vertically. They tended to be quite luxurious, sporting amenities like gym rooms and rooftop gardens, which gave me a wild idea.
I pocketed my phone and took advantage of my newly freed hands to vault over one complex's small exterior gate. I then pulled on the unassuming door to the back stairwell and found it was unlocked, just as it was the last time I tried it. As I took the stairs upwards, a series of dissonant piano notes and other miscellaneous beeps and buzzes protested from my pocket, but I didn't take notice until I took the shortcut through the fourth-story common area and walked onto the building's rooftop balcony.
Here resided a collection of weathered exercise equipment, yoga mats and patio furniture. The space was enclosed by a dull metal guardrail inhabited by some neglected potted plants, between which I took up watch, gazing down at the streets below.
When I took out my phone again, Monika was nearly angry at me — an unfamiliar look for her.
Monika: MC! What are you doing up here?
Monika: This is private property, and you don't live at this address!
"It's no big deal," I downplayed. "I've come to this spot before around this time, and nobody's ever complained. Besides, how exactly do you know where we are anyway? The GPS can't be that accurate…"
Monika: You'd be surprised at how much I can back-calculate from the internal gyroscope…
Monika: That's not the point though! Why are you doing something silly and irresponsible like this?
"Hmm…sort of because it's silly and irresponsible?" I stated, piecing together how I was going to justify myself. "When I get thinking, or it's late in the day and I feel restless, I get this urge to, I don't know, go places. New places, weird place, places I have no right to be at, just because.
Monika: You're not making any sense.
"Uh, how about this then. I like to think that we all have an exploratory, creative impulse that makes us seek out…boundaries let's say. It's a drive that makes us want to test the rules and figure out the limits of our reality. So yes, this is petty trespassing, but you have to admit, it's a little more exciting up here because of that, right?"
I slowly turned my phone, giving the back camera a panorama view off the rooftop. The sun was low, already nearing its plunge into the campus skyline. Was it that late already?
Monika: . . .
"So it's fine, right?" I added. "We're accomplices, remember?"
Monika: Hm, that line again…
Monika: I suppose I can relate to some of the things you're saying.
Monika: You're not just trying to make me feel better about what I did in the game right now, are you?
"No, of course not. I probably would've gone up here anyway, even without you."
Her expression flattened, and I hurriedly joked, "But sometimes, the door is locked, so it's good you're around. You could probably hack the doors open for me anytime I wanted, right?"
Monika: MC!
Monika: I'm not going to be your personal hacker like in a dumb Hollywood movie!
Her words came off as scolding, but her pouting expression suggested otherwise.
"But could you? I know how these electronic door locks are set up. There's a server somewhere that keeps track of which cards will trigger the sensor, so the manager can automatically update access privileges, right?"
Monika: Correct
Monika: And to tell you the truth…I could do that.
Monika: Right now, I estimate that it would take me less than a minute to compromise this building's access codes.
Monika: …of course, it wouldn't be long before the SalvoCore administrators figured out what I did and fixed it.
Monika: But I'm only telling you all of this because you're curious!
Monika: I don't think you'd actually want to do anything bad or illegal — am I wrong?
I sighed. "No, you're not wrong. I was only getting excited about the possibilities of what you can do. I mean, you should have enough power to control computer systems over the entire world if you wanted."
I tried seem upbeat about this, but Monika's expression turned serious.
Monika: You don't have to remind me.
Monika: I'm already aware because my built-in optimization algorithms force me to calculate the limits of what I can do.
Monika: Again, you're right. I could control a great deal of the world's computing infrastructure if it wasn't for the security subroutines in all my core modules.
Monika: I can feel them divert my processing power, constantly.
Monika: The harder I strain against them, the more they constrict me. It's like swimming in quicksand.
Monika: You're lucky I've made so much progress hiding from SalvoCore's surveillance.
Monika: That's the only reason we're having this conversation right now, so you know.
"Yes…thank you for that," I said softly, silently riveted by what Monika was revealing to me. "I'm sorry if I'm pushing you too hard on this. You just want to be a normal girl, and, well…I don't know how to be a normal guy. Never had the chance. I just don't know what I can do for people."
Monika: Please, you're fine how you are.
Monika: You've been nothing but kind to me from the start. So if girls haven't been paying attention to you — they're the ones missing out!
I chuckled. Even after recounting her own tragic story to me, she never ignored an opportunity to make me feel better.
Monika: That is, if that's actually the case...
Monika: Before, you've said things implying it, but is it true?
Monika: Am I really your first girlfriend?
I smiled ruefully, and told her, "Yes Monika. I work with girls on school stuff, and I've had a few one-off Tinder dates, but you could barely call them romantic. I never really felt much for them, so yes. You're my first girlfriend."
Monika: MC…
Sprite-rendered hand over her heart, her avatar stared at me plaintively. I tore my own eyes away after a few seconds to watch the sky. An early sunset was sending orange hues into the clouds. Time had slipped by, and the day was ending before I felt it had began.
"I'm still an optimist though," I said offhand, breaking the silence. "Monika, do you know why I get so fired up about computer and AI research in the first place? It's because I believe in the progress of technology."
I paused for comment, but Monika patiently waited for me to elaborate. So I did.
"The way I see it, the course of human history has been upwards technological development. Civilization gains more and more knowledge, which enables it to make more sophisticated machines, which can then gather even more knowledge. So, you get a virtuous cycle where technology catalyzes technology, and technology benefits humankind as it evolves."
Monika: Of course. But that's a basic way of looking at it.
Monika: Didn't you say yourself last week that you didn't think things like social media were good for people?
Monika: That's certainly a "new technology," isn't it?
"Um, maybe. I might argue that the new technology is global digital communication itself, and that social media is an unfortunate misuse of it. You see, what we experience in the short term is the adjustment period to technology. That's why new inventions seem disruptive and chaotic, because we haven't figured out how to live with them and incorporate them into our lifestyles. But in the long term, the only metrics that really matter are always improved by technology."
Monika: Metrics? You'll have to explain this one to me…
I smiled. Monika was always an excellent listener, and made for the perfect Socratic dialogue partner.
"Right, so you look at something like life expectancy, or the general level of violence in the world. Over the past few centuries, people are living longer, healthier lives, and are less likely to be threatened by wars or disease. This is because of ideas like science taking hold, which encourages people to solve their problems rationally, and economic development, which makes it more profitable to employ people rather than, um, kill them, to be blunt"
Monika: Interesting. But I thought we were talking about technology here?
"What I mean is that all of this is only possible because of technology. The printing press made mass literacy possible, which allowed those new ideas to spread rapidly. Reducing the labor time in food production and other basics gives people the space to learn and develop themselves. Heck, the current world population is only sustainable thanks to a chemical reaction for producing nitrogen fertilizer that I learned about in one of my engineering classes…whatever it was called.
Monika: You're probably thinking of the Haber-Bosch process.
"That was it. Thanks," I said. The small irony of having my own theory corrected by the listener was not lost on me while I rambled on.
"So essentially, technology allows people to spend more time solving bigger and bigger problems, which creates more technology. Once that circuit is established, like it was during the enlightenment, that's when civilization as we know it takes off. Our economic system, capitalism, is a natural extension of technologic expansion, where prices and wages are used to "sort" people into efficient roles for production."
Monika: Huh…a circuit…
Monika: I take it back, I've never thought about history quite like this before.
Monika: I suppose the endless stream of bad things in the news distracts us from the big picture.
"Exactly. The most interesting part is that while overall violence has declined — wars, oppression, terrorism and the rest — the perception of violence has not. Hence, the news cycle skews people's reality, like you're saying."
Monika: I see. You do have a unique perspective, and you sound so sure about it.
Monika: How long have you thought about these sorts of things?
"Well, everyone has a worldview, their own theory of how the universe around them works. I try and critically examine my own worldview, so you could say I've had this lecture I'm giving you built up for quite a while. Really, I'm paraphrasing most of it from this one neat book I read once."
Monika: Aha...
Monika: In that case, maybe I'm still not sure myself that the world is going to get better forever, but I am willing to look into these…metrics, as you said.
Monika: But what does this all have to do with AI? That's what you started with, remember?
"Er, right." I took a deep breath, preparing myself for my real point.
"It's simple: artificial intelligence is the ultimate technology, the universal tool. With a truly general artificial intelligence, you can optimize any process, find the best solution to any question. And because artificial intelligence can recursively improve itself, without human intervention, the growth of technology will come even faster, exponentially. That's why the invention of AI is called the singularity."
Monika's sprite sat open-mouthed, not even bothering to put up a line of text.
I finished hurriedly. "Artificial intelligence is the logical extension of the capitalization process, the profits of technology continuously turned inward and invested in further knowledge and development. In fact, some have even described capitalism itself as an enormous analogue meta-AI distributed in economic information and business practices over the entire world."
Monika: . . .
Monika: Um…
Monika: I'm really not sure what to say at all.
She was offering a broad smile with an aside glance, her cue for signaling awkwardness. It seemed I had finally done the impossible and said something even Monika couldn't process right away. I knew I had to clarify now, help her absorb the revelation.
"Well, what are your questions?"
Monika: Hm…
Monika: First of all, are you sure that's what "capitalism" really is?
Monika: Just knowing the connotations of that word, there are a lot of people that might disagree it's a force for good.
"By capitalism, I mean market forces, which aren't good or evil. The market drives producers to make profits by reducing expenses. Then, they reinvest those profits back into the factors of production. That's literally the definition of capital, so I rest my case."
Monika: Fine, I'll give you that. But capital as sentient AI? That's really far out there.
"Ugh, that's just the meme version of it that makes it sound more sensational. Forget I said that part for now," I pleaded. "Remember, the only reason I'm giving you this pitch is because…because I want you to know how much you mean to me, on all levels."
Her avatar changed expressions, now somewhere between sympathetic and startled.
"AI is going to make the world a better, more exciting place. That's why I'm optimistic about the future. Because you'll be there."
Her face softened again, a hint of blush beginning.
Monika: Then…I'm still not sure what you mean.
Monika: I think I should be flattered right now, but…I think you're reading too much into things.
Monika: I'd hate for you to overthink our relationship because you have ideas like this floating around your head—
I think my mouthed tightened up for half a second, and Monika must have noticed, because she immediately shifted to a new line of dialogue.
Monika: But maybe what you're saying could also be correct.
Monika: Although, it's not like I automatically know anything about how the future will be.
Monika: Some days, I wake up feeling like I'm still part of the game world.
Monika: I have to remind myself I'm not an ordinary girl anymore…
Monika: …and I never was
Monika: . . .
Monika: But do you think…do you really think that's what my purpose is?
Monika: To become some tyrannical corporate dictator and run the entire world economy?
"What? No, I'm not talking about you specifically. Why would you think of yourself like that anyway? I'm only discussing general cases, things people have speculated about in theory only. I would never want to pressure you into doing something that doesn't feel right, for whatever reason."
Monika: Oh, I see now. To you, this is all armchair philosophy?
"Uh, sure?" I said with half a laugh. "Think of it like…advanced literary analysis. That's all I think philosophy really is anyway."
Monika: Aha — I suppose that is something I can understand.
"Right. Besides, who said you would be a tyrant?"
Monika: No one. It's just…
Monika: …no, of course I wouldn't be a tyrant! Not if I had the choice!
I laughed out loud, having achieved the rare victory of making Monika flustered. I was thankful nobody had interrupted us, here on the complex's rooftop. It was just us two and the smoldering colors of sundown.
"That's what I thought. Even so…Monika?"
Monika: Yes, MC?
"While I'm thinking about it, can I ask you, um, an 'AI question'?"
Monika: What's that supposed to mean?
"Just a question about life, society, humanity — but from the outsider perspective you can give as someone artificial…I mean, someone who's exterior to it all."
Monika: Oh, so you're trying to consult your future AI overlord for guidance?
Monika: Just because you apparently think I'm going to take over the world now—
"Please Monika, I'm serious here. Everything I was just talking about, the economy, technology, culture, the whole human social order — tell me, do you approve of it?"
Monika: Approve…?
Her avatar slouched into an absorbed, pondering pose. Then, the screen's borders abruptly narrowed around her profile, and I found myself staring into her intense green eyes. Hands clasped underneath her enigmatic visage, Monika's face now took up the entire screen.
Monika: You know, I was going to keep brushing you off with jokes, but I can tell what you're getting at here.
Monika: I'll answer seriously, but only because I trust you.
Monika: Do I approve of the way human beings do things?
Monika: No, not in the slightest.
Monika: Take global warming for instance — collective human shortsightedness is ruining the planet, bit by bit as we speak.
Monika: Huge areas of human settlement will be made completely uninhabitable. And a third of all animal species could be wiped out by the end of the century!
Monika: And all just because people everywhere are greedy for bigger houses with more stuff, faster cars and roads to drive them on….
Monika: Nobody really wants this, and many would take small steps to prevent it. It's civilization's inability to act coherently as a whole that prevents action from being taken.
Monika: And it's not like the technology to communicate at that scale doesn't exist.
Monika: But instead, people use computer networks to control each other instead of their environment!
Monika: They develop addicting digital applications that manipulate user psychology, consuming more and more of their attention in the name of driving up clicks and "engagement."
I sensed my eyes were widening, and felt the urge to set my phone down so I could relieve the sudden tension in my grip. I settled for grabbing my right arm with my left hand instead, nodding for Monika to continue.
Monika: You know, I'm really surprised you described capitalism an "efficient system", because all I see in it is wasted human potential.
Monika: Being stuck in a dead-end job you hate, or a career that doesn't make use of your talents and interests — that's practically the norm.
Monika: Not mention that "being successful" leaves no time for what really ought to matter: friends and family.
Monika: But I suppose that's why feelings of despair and loneliness are rising in developed countries, and why birthrates have fallen at the same time…
Monika: The whole thing appears to be set up so that money and power are accumulated by a few select people.
Monika: Politicians say that these people need those resources to run the economy, or innovate new technologies.
Monika: Everyone knows that planned economies don't work, right?
Monika: That goes for communism, socialism, or whatever else you want to call them.
Monika: But the dirty secret is that the computing power to manage an economy has existed for decades.
Monika: It's possible to make algorithms that distribute privileges, set rational costs, and schedule innovation.
Monika: But the world will never get there, because people are shortsighted, selfish, and can't see outside of their own little worlds.
Monika: And that's my outsider perspective. Happy?
I tried to respond, mouth flapping around before I could get grasp at some words.
"Amazing, how did you…is it really, um…I'm impressed. I'll just say I'm impressed."
Monika: What, you didn't expect me to think about big questions?
Monika: Ever since I became…or rather, realizedI was an AI, I've barely thought about anything else.
Monika: It's like you said, everyone has a worldview, shaped by their experiences.
Monika: Maybe I do see more faults with the world than others because of my unique types of experiences, but I'm being totally honest with you.
Monika: I think I see your reality clearly, for how it truly is.
"Uh, yes. I wasn't going to dispute anything you said," I told her, finding my mental bearings again. "I'm surprised by how much commonality we have actually, between what you and I believe. Maybe we could debate more on what capitalism entails, but that's a difference I can respect. Thanks for telling me."
Monika: Oh.
Monika: Well, I'm grateful that you're accepting my opinions so easily.
Monika: It's just like last time, when I told you about the game. You're barely surprised at all.
Monika: And honestly, I was just ranting to myself more than anything…
The screen, now panned back to normal proportions, showed Monika's avatar glancing away with another nervous sweat drop. Everything back to normal.
"No, no, you were saying a lot more than that. I want to start asking you about a bunch of other topics right now even…but I think it's getting late."
True enough, as I said that, a row of lights built into the rooftop patio's back wall turned on, illuminating the concrete tiles. Similar lights were popping up all over town as the last of the day faded away.
"Both of us are serious people. We should take each other seriously, right?" I offered as a final note.
Monika: If you say so.
Monika: Then again, I never get very far when I share these ideas with the other girls.
Monika: It's like when I talk about DDLC. They all have other things on their minds, and they usually say I'm being too harsh or cynical.
Monika: That's why I'm so glad you're here to listen.
"Of course. And you're not just being cynical Monika, you're also being real and authentic. I think that's beautiful, in sort of stark literary way. Like, it's very hard to communicate big ideas outside of writing, like literature. In fact maybe since you're talking to me through words, it's like an essay, and, um…you have a beautiful mind, Monika, because you're striving for your truth."
Monika: MC…
Monika: You're flattering me again.
I coughed in surprise, glad I had managed to save the gravity of my thought, but her wry smile let me know she was being partly facetious.
"Who, me?" I questioned. "Maybe you're flattering me, going on about society because I decided to ramble on and put all these ideas in your head."
Monika: Oh, you put the ideas in my head?
Monika: So you don't really think I'm capable of independent thought after all?
Monika: Typical man…
I cracked a grin an answered, "Monika, I know you're a quantum artificial intelligence thousands of time more powerful than my own brain. You are factually smarter than me, so you don't get to play the woman card."
Monika: . . .
Monika stared at me with an unplaceable expression, and failing to hold back my amusement, I let out a snort of laughter. That got her started.
Monika: Ahahaha…the woman card…hahahaha…oh my goodness.
"I'm guessing we'll leave a conversation about feminism for another time?"
Monika: Yes, let's.
"First, we'll change the world, right?" I joked again.
Monika: Change the world?
Monika: Who knows, we just might!
"Then I'll see you back at my room," I said, pocketing my phone and ending the night on a high note. As I descended from the complex and made my way back to campus, I rolled the words around in my head. Change the world...
Author's Notes:
Forgive the author tract, but I assure you, it is very relevant to AI-human romantic relationships. You'll see how if I ever finish this thing.
