I chose this book as my book club pick not realizing that it was more science fiction than my book club would enjoy. I on the other hand found it to be a good read. I guess it is because i really enjoy reading a good science fiction novel every now and then. I am also fascinated by AI.
The setting of the book is an island. Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.
All is fine until one of the scientists, their leader is murdered. She along with Abi, an omnipresent intelligence embedded in the minds of all the island’s inhabitants have led the Island inhabitants. To make matters worse, her death has triggered the security system. It is compromised. They must discover who the murderer is, and they have 107 hours, or the fog will smother them.
But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.
And the clock is ticking.
Abi is a most interesting character. Because of her, the inhabitants while they may think they exercise free will, really do not. She can read their thoughts, communicate directly with them and even control them when she deems necessary. Abi’s control is both a safeguard and a threat. Her ability to override decisions and suppress dissent makes her indispensable—but also dangerous.
I was talking with a group of people at a party. Let me preface things by saying we were a group of boomers. The subject of AI was brought up. My very first encounter with AI was when I watched the movie "2001 A Space Odessey". Does anyone remember that movie?
Briefly: Discovery One, a spacecraft on a mission to Jupiter is tasked with investigating a mysterious alien monolith discovered on the Moon, which is emitting a signal directed toward Jupiter. The ship is managed by HAL 9000, a highly advanced computer. Think about this, the film was released in 1968 long before most of us had ever heard the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI). HAL 9000 in many ways was our first introduction to AI. I still can't forget how eerily calm, intelligent and unsettling it was listening to HAL. As the mission unfolds, HAL begins to malfunction and turns against the crew, killing Poole and the hibernating astronauts. Dave Bowman survives and disables HAL. I can still hear that chilling line in HAL'S unnervingly calm voice saying "Hello Dave".
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a field of computer science focused on creating systems that can do things that typically require human intelligence. These machines are being "taught" (programmed) to learn, reason, and adapt. It could be used recognize faces in photos, recommend your next favorite book, or help tell a story.
I and so many others have so many reservations about AI. AI is an incredibly powerful tool, but it also raises important questions—about ethics, bias, and the role of human decision-making. These are just three negative ways AI is used:
- Authoritarian regimes have used AI-powered facial recognition and predictive policing to monitor citizens, suppress dissent, and enforce conformity.
- Social media platforms and data brokers deploy AI to maximize engagement, often by heightening outrage, misinformation, or addictive content. These algorithms can distort public discourse and erode mental health.
- Political campaigns have used AI-driven targeting to influence voter behavior, sometimes spreading disinformation tailored to individual fears
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