The Turing Option

“Really Robin number 7, after we found out that 6.9 couldn’t access all the memory we needed.”

“Blame Shelly for that,” Brian said. “She claims that when I say ‘seven’ it sounds more like ‘sven.’ So when I wasn’t looking she programmed in a Swedish accent. The name Sven stuck.”

“I want to hear your Swedish AI talk!”

“Sorry. We had to take the accent out. Too much hysteria and not enough work getting done.”

“Sounds good to me. When do I get to meet your AI?”

“Right now. But first I’ll have to wake Sven up.” Brain pointed to the motionless telerobot.

“Wake up or turn on?” Ben asked.

“The computer stays on all the time, of course. But the new memory management scheme turned out to be very much like human sleep. It sorts through a day’s memories to resolve any conflicts and to delete redundancies. No point in wasting more memory on things that you already know.” Brian raised his voice. “Sven, you can wake up now.”

The three lens covers clicked open and the legs stirred as Sven turned toward them. “Good afternoon, Brian and Shelly. And stranger.”

“This is Ben.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Ben. Is that your given name or family name?”

“Nickname,” Ben said. Robin had forgotten him again — for the third time — as its memory was changed. “Complete name, Alfred J. Benicoff.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Ms. or Mr. Benicoff.”

Ben raised his eyebrows and Brian laughed.

“Sven has still not integrated all the social knowledge involved with recognizing sexual distinctions. In fact, in many ways, it is starting from scratch, with entirely new priorities. The main thing is completeness first. I want Sven to have as well rounded an intelligence as that of a growing child. And right now, like a child, I want to teach him how to safely cross streets. We’re going for a walk now — would you like to come?”

Ben looked at the clutter of electronic machinery and his eyebrows shot up. Brian laughed at his expression and pointed to the other end of the lab.

“Virtual reality. I can’t believe how much it’s improved in the last ten years. We’ll get into those datasuits and Sven will join us electronically. Shelly will supervise the simulators.”

The suits opened at the back; Brian and Ben took off their shoes and stepped in. They were suspended at the waist so they could turn and twist as they walked. The two-dimensional treadmill floor panels let their feet move in any direction, while other effectors inside the boots simulated the shapes and textures of whatever terrain was being simulated. The featherweight helmets turned with their heads, while the screens they looked into displayed the totally computer-generated scene. Ben looked up and saw the Washington Monument above the treetops.

“We’re in Foggy Bottom,” he said.

“Why not? Details of the city are in the computer’s memory — and this gives Sven a chance to deal with the rotten District drivers.”

The illusion was almost perfect. Sven stood erect next to him, swiveling its eyes to look around. Ben turned to the image of Brian — only it wasn’t Brian.

“Brian — you’re a girl — a black girl!”

“Why not? My image here in virtual reality is computer generated so I can be anything. This gives Sven an extra bonus of meeting new people, women, minority groups, anyone. Shall we go for a walk?”

They strolled through the park, hearing the sound of distant traffic, pigeons cooing in the trees above them. A couple came the other way, passed them, talking together and completely ignoring the shambling tree robot. Of course — they were computer-generated images as well.

“We haven’t tried crossing any streets yet,” Brian said, “so why don’t we do that now? Make it easy the first time, will you Shelly?”

Shelly must have worked a control because the heavy traffic in the street ahead began to lighten up. Fewer and fewer cars passed and by the time they had reached the curb there were none in sight. Even the parked cars had driven away, all the pedestrians had turned corners and none had returned.

“Want to keep it as simple as possible. Later on we can try it with cars and people,” Brian explained. “Sven, think you can step down off the curb all right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Shall we cross now?”

Ben and Brian stepped into the road.

“No,” Sven said. Brian turned to look at the unmoving figure.

“Come on — it’s all right.”

“You explained that I was to cross the road only when I was sure a car was not coming.”

“Well, look both ways, nothing in sight, let’s go.”

Sven did not move. “I’m still not sure.”

“But you’ve already looked.”

“Yes, there was no car then. But now is now.”

Ben laughed. “You are very literal, Sven. There is really no problem. You can see both ways for a kilometer at least. Even if a car turned the corner doing one hundred kilometers an hour we could get across well before it reached us.”

“It would hit us if it were going five hundred kilometers per hour.”

“All right, Sven — that does it for today,” Brian said. “Switching off.”

The street vanished as the screen went dark; the backs of the suits swung open.