Most Convincing AIs in Literature?

Nancy Fulda · 08-03-2011, 04:14 PM

I'm writing an article on cognitive simulation and I'd love to reference AIs who've played starring roles in literature. Of course there's HAL 9000 and the famous Asimov Robots, but I'd like to cite more recent books, as well.

Any suggestions?

HomeInMyShoes · 08-03-2011, 04:35 PM

What about the Pierce Brosnan voiced house robot on The Simpsons?

Sorry, that wasn't helpful.

This might be though. It's amazing how odd some of the topic pages in wikipedia are.

Artificial Intelligence in Fiction

Nancy Fulda · 08-03-2011, 04:43 PM

Wow. Your google-fu is impressive. I only thought to search on 'artificial intelligence'.

Adoby · 08-03-2011, 04:43 PM

In the Posleen series by John Ringo there are some nifty PDA:s. They are of alien manufacture, but to adapt them to human consumers the brain-pattern from some humans have been put on top to make them easier for humans to interact with.

But they have a tendency to chrash rather quickly if set too high. They become too smart and paranoid and sees risks everywhere. And it takes them a while to reboot.

HomeInMyShoes · 08-03-2011, 04:44 PM

What about Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Maybe not starring, but certainly significant.

HomeInMyShoes · 08-03-2011, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

Wow. Your google-fu is impressive. I only thought to search on 'artificial intelligence'.

You figure if I study Information Architecture in my spare time I should be able to find things? Some days. When the brain cells are working and someone hasn't rearranged the taxonomy.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-03-2011, 04:51 PM

I'd mention the Colossus AI from Colossus: The Forbin Project. Brutal but effective.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-03-2011, 04:55 PM

Also, as I remember in Man Plus,

Spoiler:

unboggling · 08-03-2011, 04:55 PM

I was in love with one in Heinlein's Time Enough for Love. It's been awhile, not sure of her name, Athena--->Minerva maybe?

She's in other/later of his Lazarus Long books too.

fjtorres · 08-03-2011, 06:12 PM

AI's?
Here's a few:

Heinlein had several AI's.
The best realized AI of them all being Mycroft (Holmes), aka, Mike, aka Mychelle, aka Adam Selene. From the MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS.
Lazarus Long's spaceship AI, Dora, is another example.

Asimov's most prominent AI is R. Daneel Olivaw, discoverer of the Zeroth Law of robotics.
Lester DelRey gaves us Helen O'loy, a robot who learned to love.
Edmond Hamilton's CAPTAIN FUTURE stories featured Ortho, a shape shifting robot.

The movies gave us johny five, the inquisitive robot of SHORT CIRCUIT, Disney's Wall-E, and the nameless Maria-impersonating robot from Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS. TV's Gene Roddenbery and DC Fontana gave us Questor who, like Commander Data, sought to understand and help humanity.

If you include game narratives as well as movies, the HALO series has offered up Cortana and the Supervisor, the MASS EFFECT trilogy the hive-mind Geth (whose sentience resides in millions of networked non-sentient drones) and the genocidal self-evolving Reapers.

For my money, tops is Mycroft, barely ahead of Daneel and Helen.
(And their three stories are must reads.)

unboggling · 08-03-2011, 06:37 PM

Yeah, Mycroft was cool. (But I didn't fall in love with him.)

unboggling · 08-03-2011, 06:42 PM

It's interesting to think about why many fictional AIs, in order to relate to humans better, eventually assume a male or female gender.

Aidan · 08-03-2011, 06:42 PM

Sirens of Titan has one of my favourite AI's, Salo who was trying to carry a message to a distant galaxy when his spaceship broke down.

In modern novels, Neal Asher's Polity novels are set in the future where AI's have taken over in a bloodless coup and has many interesting AI characters, Sniper from The Skinner stands out.

I'm mainly an SF reader and could come up with dozens more.

JSWolf · 08-03-2011, 06:45 PM

Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation was a very good AI. The holographic doctor from Star Trek: Voyager.

Freeshadow · 08-03-2011, 08:08 PM

please suspend the lynching of 'lil me until finished reading - just wanted to remark that the manga Chobits is worth to be noticed in this context too.
And of course not to forget our fellow MR member Dave Kitson with his "Turing Evolved"

08-03-2011, 04:14 PM	#1
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	Most Convincing AIs in Literature? I'm writing an article on cognitive simulation and I'd love to reference AIs who've played starring roles in literature. Of course there's HAL 9000 and the famous Asimov Robots, but I'd like to cite more recent books, as well. Any suggestions?

08-03-2011, 04:51 PM	#7
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I'd mention the Colossus AI from Colossus: The Forbin Project. Brutal but effective. Last edited by Steven Lyle Jordan; 08-03-2011 at 04:54 PM.

08-03-2011, 04:55 PM	#8
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Also, as I remember in Man Plus, Spoiler: the story's narrator turned out to be an AI guiding mankind from behind the scenes.

08-03-2011, 04:55 PM	#9
unboggling Wizard Posts: 1,065 Karma: 858115 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kobo Clara, Kindle Paperwhite 10	I was in love with one in Heinlein's Time Enough for Love. It's been awhile, not sure of her name, Athena--->Minerva maybe? She's in other/later of his Lazarus Long books too. Last edited by unboggling; 08-03-2011 at 10:02 PM.

08-03-2011, 06:12 PM	#10
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	AI's? Here's a few: Heinlein had several AI's. The best realized AI of them all being Mycroft (Holmes), aka, Mike, aka Mychelle, aka Adam Selene. From the MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS. Lazarus Long's spaceship AI, Dora, is another example. Asimov's most prominent AI is R. Daneel Olivaw, discoverer of the Zeroth Law of robotics. Lester DelRey gaves us Helen O'loy, a robot who learned to love. Edmond Hamilton's CAPTAIN FUTURE stories featured Ortho, a shape shifting robot. The movies gave us johny five, the inquisitive robot of SHORT CIRCUIT, Disney's Wall-E, and the nameless Maria-impersonating robot from Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS. TV's Gene Roddenbery and DC Fontana gave us Questor who, like Commander Data, sought to understand and help humanity. If you include game narratives as well as movies, the HALO series has offered up Cortana and the Supervisor, the MASS EFFECT trilogy the hive-mind Geth (whose sentience resides in millions of networked non-sentient drones) and the genocidal self-evolving Reapers. For my money, tops is Mycroft, barely ahead of Daneel and Helen. (And their three stories are must reads.) Last edited by fjtorres; 08-03-2011 at 06:17 PM.

08-03-2011, 04:35 PM	#2
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	What about the Pierce Brosnan voiced house robot on The Simpsons? Sorry, that wasn't helpful. This might be though. It's amazing how odd some of the topic pages in wikipedia are. Artificial Intelligence in Fiction

08-03-2011, 04:43 PM	#3
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	Wow. Your google-fu is impressive. I only thought to search on 'artificial intelligence'.

08-03-2011, 04:43 PM	#4
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	In the Posleen series by John Ringo there are some nifty PDA:s. They are of alien manufacture, but to adapt them to human consumers the brain-pattern from some humans have been put on top to make them easier for humans to interact with. But they have a tendency to chrash rather quickly if set too high. They become too smart and paranoid and sees risks everywhere. And it takes them a while to reboot.

08-03-2011, 04:44 PM	#5
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	What about Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Maybe not starring, but certainly significant.

08-03-2011, 06:37 PM	#11
unboggling Wizard Posts: 1,065 Karma: 858115 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kobo Clara, Kindle Paperwhite 10	Yeah, Mycroft was cool. (But I didn't fall in love with him.)

08-03-2011, 06:42 PM	#12
unboggling Wizard Posts: 1,065 Karma: 858115 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kobo Clara, Kindle Paperwhite 10	It's interesting to think about why many fictional AIs, in order to relate to humans better, eventually assume a male or female gender. Last edited by unboggling; 08-03-2011 at 09:49 PM.

08-03-2011, 06:42 PM	#13
Aidan Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle3	Sirens of Titan has one of my favourite AI's, Salo who was trying to carry a message to a distant galaxy when his spaceship broke down. In modern novels, Neal Asher's Polity novels are set in the future where AI's have taken over in a bloodless coup and has many interesting AI characters, Sniper from The Skinner stands out. I'm mainly an SF reader and could come up with dozens more.

08-03-2011, 06:45 PM	#14
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation was a very good AI. The holographic doctor from Star Trek: Voyager.

08-03-2011, 08:08 PM	#15
Freeshadow temp. out of service Posts: 2,815 Karma: 24285242 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duisburg (DE) Device: PB 623	please suspend the lynching of 'lil me until finished reading - just wanted to remark that the manga Chobits is worth to be noticed in this context too. And of course not to forget our fellow MR member Dave Kitson with his "Turing Evolved"

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