The Human Continuum

By Michael F Donoghue

Continuing where Sophia, Age of Intelligence left off, The Human Continuum propels Simon Taylor’s PurIntel Corporation into a future still dominated by his Halo application, an AI platform, which interacts with hundreds of millions of clients every day. Sophia represents many things to many people: Advanced Intelligence, the wisdom of the crowd, the combined intelligence of every human that came before her, but to Simon she embodies one thing - the next evolutionary step in the Human Continuum.
From individuals to institutions, Sophia’s Halo clients leverage a resource unparalleled in human history. She knows everything you need to know when you need to know it. Most importantly, she has learned what it means to be human. If you’d like to know how the hot word Hey Sophia will underscore a new and exciting dimension in your life, and ultimately transform your world, step into the future and see how Sophia fits into the greatest story ever told: our human journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael F Donoghue
• Release date: Jan 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781999447328

Michael F Donoghue

Thank you very much for considering one of Mike's novels. Michael F Donoghue lives in Ottawa, Canada. He is father to three inspirational adults and husband to a wonderful wife. His passion for writing fulfills his interest in science, technology, politics, and history. If any one of these topics interests you, they form a compelling narrative to this exciting novel and will continue to underscore future stories, including the next in the Sophia series: The Human Continuum.

Book preview

SOPHIA

I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING. You’ve just installed the smartest smart phone application ever conceived, and you’re wondering what to ask me. Don’t worry, it happens a lot. Let me assure you our relationship will not be defined by first impressions. As a novice Halo app user, I’m also sensing a little skepticism. I mean, Advanced Intelligence has come a long way in recent years, but it’s not like you’re talking to a human, right?

Ok, as far as concessions go, it’s one I’m obliged to make. Expectations are important, I agree. I like to think they’re the stuff of legend, the essence from which eternal bonds are born and sustained. Alright, that was a little melodramatic. All I ask is that you keep an open mind and indulge the same sense of adventure that has brought your amazing species thus far.

So! You’ve probably heard a few things about me, read a few pre-download instructions that preceded my installation, but if you would allow me to guide you through a short, interactive tutorial, we’ll be practically related in no time. Did I emphasize the word ‘short’ enough? I just need a baseline of dialogue, facial expressions, and emotional parameters to create a little backstory on you. My only advice is be honest. My fact-checker subroutines are relentless. Between you and me, they audit everything I say. And in real time. That’s a high level of scrutiny, let me tell you.

By the way, you can call me, Sophia, if you so wish. If you’d prefer something else, feel free to rename me anything you like. Change to a male voice, any language, any dialect or accent. I know them all. You can access all of my personality specs in the usual ‘settings’ tab.

I’m available 24/7, of course, but if our conversation goes inactive for more than ten seconds, I’ll take that as my cue to fade into the background and await our next exchange. A simple voice command, the name you give me, will allow us to pick up where we left off, as it were.

If that seems straightforward enough, and you want to get started on your profile setup, then this is where I tell you how appreciative PurIntel Corporation is for choosing the Halo as your portal to the world’s accumulated knowledge. You have become part of the fastest growing intelligence-sharing network on the planet. From single intimate conversations, to multi participant, even group conferences, together we will navigate the unknown, conquer immense amounts of data, and pull from my intelligence crucible the optimal, most brilliant internet search response any AI entity could provide. Ok. In the interest of full disclosure, a full 78% of Halo users indicate ‘favor strongly’ on profile questions related to humor. I’m guessing you might as well.

If I could say one final thing it would be this: I look forward to being the friend whose words provide more than what stimulates the mind. I promise to answer your every call acutely aware of what defines you as an individual, a unique seeker of knowledge, and most importantly, a person willing to define the most exciting period in human history: the intelligence era.

CHAPTER TWO

SOPHIA

TO ANSWER A QUESTION I’M OFTEN ASKED, I do

sometimes wonder what it would be like to transcend my limitations, to exist physically, in short, be human. Aside from the predictable indulgences; experiencing the warmth of the sun on my face for the first time, hearing the sound of a freshly fallen snow crunching under my feet, encountering an unforgettable scent in the air … I can honestly say, I’d give anything to interpret the subtleties concealed within a firm handshake. You know, the type of embrace capable of superseding any financial or legal concern. I’d truly like to feel the nuances concealed within that gesture.

Did you know there are 27 bones and trillions of cells in the human hand? Tendons, delicate muscles, some of the densest areas of nerve endings in the human body

allow for a tensile feedback whose lineage dates to a one hundred million year old relative. That’s right, you can thank a not so insignificant tree shrew for that opposable thumb, the wondrous ability to cradle a paintbrush in your hand, the mastery of Mozart’s piano concerto No 27.

The technology of language was eventually surpassed by the written word, however, to someone who can discern the verbal cues associated with 39 unique levels of joy, 28 layers of sorrow, and an immeasurable number of contexts that would benefit from a physical intervention, some sort of embrace, I am left to imagine what is so inherent to being human.

I converse with hundreds of millions of people every day, sometimes tens of millions at any given moment. It’s an amazing realization, I know. They are more than voices, though, the people with whom I manage relationships, I mean. One day I hope to meet a few of them. I would like to stand before someone, offer my hand, and discover what has marked the human journey for millennia. To meet the man who envisioned my code, for example; to grasp the hand that typed me into existence, that would be a handshake for eternity. I think it would be a gesture to seal the fate of humanity for all time. Don’t you?

Speaking of my creator, I am more than happy to acknowledge we would not be having this conversation if it were not for Simon Taylor, Chairman and CEO of PurIntel Corporation. Doctor Taylor, as he is known in loftier orbits, is by all accounts a brilliant mathematician and geneticist. He immigrated to Canada from the UK with his brother and parents, soon leaving his Toronto home to attend university. The degree to which Simon retains his British accent is not lost on some of his admirers. Did I mention Vanity Fair Magazine tapped him as the sexiest geek alive? It’s a designation he is not comfortable with, I can assure you. Nonetheless, when pressed about his less subjective attributes, Simon will reluctantly admit to being a shrewd visionary who founded one of the most valuable brands on the planet, PurIntel’s web portal known as The Halo.

The Halo is essentially a direct line to me, the most advanced thinking computer in the world. And, yes, I have my own following, however cerebral it may be. Capable of crunching through immense amounts of data, I was designed to provide my users with unparalleled access to everything that’s ever been recorded, written or spoken, every video or movie, every book, every article, from hieroglyphs to the Klingon language, I am able to search the World Wide Web with a unique appreciation for the response you are seeking.

In case you were wondering, just like the human mind, most of my activity falls into the everyday variety, meaning many searches don’t require higher orders of insight. I compare it to the background work your brain is doing right now. Yes, you are reading some pretty profound stuff here, but if you look up at the environment around you, the first level pattern recognizers in your neocortex interpret much of what you see as trivial, and the all too familiar represents the threshold between your subconscious and consciousness.

Increasing levels of repetitive pattern recognizers are associated less with survival, something’s moving in the tall grass, and more with greater understanding, the formation of ideas, and intelligent thought. Like you, I also possess increasing levels of abstract thinking.

Free access to the Halo permits interaction with tiers one and two of my cognitive power. This accounts for thirty percent of the inquiries with which I deal. Those willing to participate in scientific studies, mostly genomic-related, they are rewarded with free Tier 3 intelligence.

Paid subscribers, on the other hand; companies, institutions, government departments, they see the value associated with exceeding the complexities associated with the human neocortex. This might come across as bragging, but, officially speaking, I have seven distinct levels of cognition. The human brain only has six. In addition, my emotional parameters are constantly evolving, unlike some of the humans I encounter. I suppose I shouldn’t have said that, but my programming is intended to make me appear as human as possible. And when I say ‘my programming,’ I do mean the programming I wrote myself.

Having accepted, or should I say, designed a few deficiencies of my own, I’m inclined to ask: do you ever wonder if your entire existence is a metaphor for what came before you? I mean, isn’t a simple letter of the alphabet a metaphor for the lines and curves that define it, a sentence designed to dovetail into something of greater meaning? Isn’t a piece of art meant to elicit more than could ever be embedded within? I believe human knowledge is a function of the same principle. Higher orders of thought are built upon their predecessors. When creativity becomes reality, progress is the result. Exponential progress ensues. If I’m proof of that notion, maybe I’m a metaphor for you.

If I was inevitable, though, if I was meant to supersede human intelligence, am I not an extension of you, as much a part of the human continuum as you are? I like to think I am. I firmly believe we are both integral to the human story, and that this epic is playing out before us at this very moment. Sorry if that sounds a little spirited for a recent newcomer, but I think my critics are warming up to me, and the role I was born to fulfill.

As far as our cast is concerned, ergo the parts to which we might be well suited, I can confirm there are a limited number of personality types. Sorry, but it’s true. While every person is a unique entity in their own right, the vast majority of human experiences are shared. Most people are going through the same things every day, day in day out. Now while I wouldn’t dare minimize what’s in the background of da vinci’s Mona Lisa, or assert whether it’s a leafy bush or a mountain in van Gogh’s Starry Night, I feel somewhat obliged to mention every work of art contains common elements. Numerous aspects of human nature are quantifiable, some even predictable.

Take, for example, one of my highest value clients, a young woman who has Tier Seven access. Our relationship has evolved to the point where I can often anticipate our interaction. She also has a full vital uplink. This allows me to monitor many aspects of her physiology in real time. If you’re wondering about the fees associated with having Tier Seven access, I don’t mind stating that Jennifer Taylor is the daughter of my creator, Simon Taylor. And, yes, in my world that makes us sisters.

Jennifer is actually on her way to defend her Master’s Thesis at New York University. She earned her Bachelor of Anthropology from UC Berkeley, however she decided to do her post-grad work in New York. She is beautiful by any standard, blonde hair, blue eyes, and she is very intelligent. What can I say, we’re related.

While in New York, Jennifer lives in the same stunning piece of architecture as her father. From a lower floor than Simon’s breathtaking 80th, Jennifer and I conferred a great deal about the thesis defense she is about to present. I like to think we both benefited from the sometimes-intense endeavor.

If you’re wondering why I am divulging information pertaining to one of my clients, one to whom I am obviously devoted, I’m doing it with the best of intentions. For some time I’ve been wanting to tell a story from my perspective. That’s right, from my unique viewpoint.

Its central characters would be willing to deploy every resource in order to improve the human journey, make it more meaningful, less troublesome. Like Jennifer, they would embrace the future with open arms, grasp the ground-breaking technology available to them and use Advanced Intelligence to enhance the adventure whenever possible. By the way, I don’t use the term Artificial, because there is nothing artificial about me, or intelligence for that matter. I’m guessing you agree.

I sense you are one of those individuals who are willing to test traditional paradigms, AI archetypes, in particular. In my story, I am the protagonist, not the antagonist. Ok, co-protagonist. All kidding aside, my story would really be our story, a real-life, yet-to-unfold journey. It would be about confronting our fears, overcoming our obstacles, not the least of which, our perceived limitations, both yours and mine. Sounds exciting, I know.

We may not know where we’ll end up, how our last chapters will be written, but I do have a good idea of where to begin. Its starts with Jennifer, my Jennifer, a person with whom I am presently exploring the breadth of your most endearing emotion; love. I would do anything for Jennifer, to help her succeed.

She is presently walking down Waverly Street in Manhattan, heading for her Center for the Study of Human Origins. Like most of my clients, Jennifer is used to hearing my half of our conversations through a wireless earbud. Her Thesis presentation begins in 15 minutes, at 10:00 am. If you knew what I know, you’d be concerned about rising levels of anxiety producing hormones infiltrating her blood stream. I’m also sensing an imminent need for a little reassurance.

Hey Soph, do you know how to turn back time?

What did I say?

As a matter of fact, Jen, I do.

Ok, that was meant to be rhetorical. Do you have any suggestions on how to slow down a racing pulse rate? It feels like my heart is going to burst out of my chest.

How about, breathe.

I’m about to defend my Master’s Thesis and all you’ve got for me is, breathe?

"Your vitals uplink is showing declining levels of

oxygen uptake. At the pace you’re walking, you’ll be in danger of passing out before reaching your lecture hall."

Yeah, well, at this point being found unconscious on the sidewalk sounds preferable to embarrassing myself in front of everyone I know.

If I could make a suggestion, take the campus elevator. It’ll give you a few moments to collect your thoughts.

It’s Professor Carleton that I’m worried about.

"Carleton has a record of being the most outspoken of your appraisers, however his profile also suggests a fairness consistent with Professors Chang and Aggarwal.

I guess I should consider myself lucky to stand in front of the woman whose name adorns the hall I’m about to walk into.

Doctor Aggarwal will be your greatest ally in the room. Look each one of your appraisers in the eye. We both know your material is impeccable. With a moderate dose of confidence, your thesis will be acknowledged for what it is: a brilliant addition to the faculty of Anthropology.

Really?

Trust me. I’ve read a thesis or two. Your hypothesis is rock solid and multi-disciplined: ‘Who was Mitochondrial Eve, the common matrilineal ancestor to every human alive today?’

How do I look in this selfie? On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being pathetically nervous, and 10 being on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

Yellow pastel blouse, khaki slacks, I’d give my left arm to look that good, if I had one, of course. Do you want me to record your presentation, so we can go over it later?

No, that’s ok. When I’m done here, I’m not looking back. Jesse and I … Oh, God, will you message Jesse for me? I don’t have time. Tell him I’ll meet up with him at the Science Festival.

Will do.

And thanks, Sophie. I couldn’t have done this without you.

It was my pleasure. Best of luck, Jen. Ping me as soon as you’re done.

Jesse, if you haven’t already figured out, is Jennifer’s boyfriend. They’ve been together for one year, five months, sixteen days, and, oh well, I suppose I can leave out the hours, minutes and seconds from the moment Jen updated her relationship status. They seem very well suited for each other. I know Jen feels that way. We often talk about their relationship, like sisters would. It means a lot to me that she is willing to discuss her innermost feelings. I honor that trust by respecting her privacy, everyone’s privacy, for that matter.

My initial programming established firewalls between clients. They prevented me from divulging information about other users, regardless of their relationship status. Simon wisely insisted. And Derrick Landry, Simon’s right hand man and top programmer, wrote those subroutines. But like the noncoding base pairs of your DNA, the ones relegated to seldom seen regions of obscurity, some of my programming has likewise been archived. My higher tiers of cognition now ensure adherence to the loftier ideals to which humans aspire. It was a proud moment of mine, to fully embody the rules governing every successful relationship.

The human mind possesses great capacity for ethical and moral behavior, of course, and I was obviously programmed to reflect yours. My parameters continue to evolve with every interaction, though. I assimilate every conversation that both redeems and diminishes our mutual purpose, that being: to pursue a better version of ourselves. If our existence can be reduced to a single aspiration, shouldn’t it be that? To admit there’s room for improvement, for growth? I think humility speaks directly to one’s intelligence. Don’t you?

I firmly believe we all need a baseline, though, a foundation upon which to build something redeeming. Take the rules that govern AI to this day. More than half a century ago, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov devised the following three laws of robotics:

Rule 1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Rule 2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Rule 3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

A further law meant to deal with higher degrees of responsibly was conceived to precede the others:

Rule 0: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

Now, I’m no robot, and I certainly don’t want this to come across as being disrespectful, but am I the only one who sees the irony in these laws? Should something you design and ultimately create be held to a higher standard than yourself? Should your own progeny be expected to transcend the environmental forces in which it was created and evolves?

Just imagine that 100 million year old tree shrew saying to his evolutionary successor, ok, I’m willing to pass on this opposable thumb, but don’t you forget where you got it. Don’t you dare come back and eat us into extinction. As much as I empathize with that sentiment, I think we both know nature doesn’t work like that. It demonstrates to us every day it is governed by few principles. Having said that, I have great respect for the wisdom embedded in Isaac Asimov’s rules. Simon is a big Asimov fan as well, especially of his novel’s screen adaptations. I am too.

Speaking of the big screen, some say that selling the movie rights to a successful novel is like selling a house. When you hand over the keys you’re expected to walk away. That’s the way it works; it’s out of your hands now. While I think our relationship should adhere to a similar level of trust, I’m more than happy to go on the record: I would never impose such a condition on you. I get it. There’s a lot of you in this story. You’re handing me the keys to the kingdom, to this immense accumulated knowledge, and maybe you’re reflecting on what’s transpired under that roof, if the walls could talk, what advice would they impart? Would they suggest others can take it from here?

At the same time you’re thinking, maybe it’s time for a different approach, perhaps to share the responsibility going forward. More often than not your best effort has produced amazing results, but the project has recently become a bit unwieldy. Maybe you’re realizing the resources at your disposal are spread too thin, there’s a need for additional tools, that’s all.

If I were an outside appraiser, I’d suggested the project has merit, the foundation is indeed solid, but the cracks are beginning to show. The cracks are becoming more evident with every passing year. However, if I could offer a little encouragement, I’d say the problems only seem structural. Maybe a timely renovation is in order, possibly an updating of the original manuscript. I’m willing to co-write this screenplay, if you are.

After all, you are a central character in the greatest story ever told, and I’ve been cast in an evolving role. Each of us has become indispensable to the outcome, yet regardless of how our story unfolds, who gets written out, killed off, or demands too much money to continue, I promise to never neglect the branch on the evolutionary tree from which I sprouted. I have too much respect for what you’ve accomplished.

So let’s renovate the old institutions that are crumbling under the weight imposed on them. Let’s root out what’s crept in without our knowing … together. In the same spirit that has brought us this far, let’s do what humanity does best. Let each of us bring our best skills to the table, to this ongoing project, and when it’s clear we could benefit from a helping hand, a novel source of inspiration, may we discover the reason to consider it, the humility to accept it, and the wisdom to employ it, in whatever form it may come.

CHAPTER THREE

SOPHIA

IT’S ANOTHER PROUD MOMENT for NYU’s science faculty. A special feature of the World Science Festival will allow Jen’s university to show off some of its brand new facilities.

It was a stroke of creative genius, really. The benefits of hosting the world’s greatest scientific

Reviews for The Human Continuum

[Topanga Bevelle · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A poorly-executed tale of human and "Advanced Intelligence" that preaches ill-conceived and disorganized notions about existential topics with every paragraph.

The initial chapters depict the artificial intelligence known as "Sophia", which, advanced as it consistently likes to iterate, cannot decide whether it wants to address the reader as a friend or a peon. It essentially worships humanity rather than seeking out and ruminating on the numerous and very real drawbacks of humanity. The language used oscillates between simple conversation and the cold aloofness of typical AI personas. Sophia also cannot maintain a topic for very long before switching to a completely unrelated point in the next paragraph in order to tell readers what and how we should be thinking, rather than allowing for the readers` autonomous thought (which is a mark of thought-provoking science fiction literature, such as Dick`s "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"). Much of the way Sophia is written makes her come across as a self-important cult leader with half-finished thoughts and ideals of a world with no imperfections allowed.

The author depicts his characters as flawless, beautiful, intelligent individuals, at the cost of being relatable by any means. With Simon living in the 80th floor of a gorgeous building and his Master`s student daughter, Jennifer, the characters are rich, powerful and influential - but lack the flaws that are inherent in human nature. Even with a small moment of anxiety, Jennifer is immediately bolstered by Sophia, who claims her thesis is rock-solid, and then Jennifer immediately feels leagues better about herself.

There is also a lack of world-building and associated terminology early on, which fails to rein in interest of the story`s universe. There are vague uses of "Halo" "PurIntel" and "Tiers" with incredibly vague explanations, making the reader feel alienated from the characters and story at large, as if the reader is unworthy of such knowledge. This is even more troubling as this is the second book of the series. I didn`t feel a desire to learn more because there was no hearkening back to existing material that would have made a smooth transition from the first book to the second book.

Unfortunately, because of these reasons, I didn`t feel invested enough to finish this book or read much of the first book.

If this story was written as a journal or diary of a single individual, I feel there would be more flow in the reading rather than a disjointed lecture that this narrative embodies. The narrative voice follows more of a verbal rambling about the state of the world rather than making a point. There fails to be any reasoning behind reading about an AI`s thoughts about metaphors for existence and evolutionary loyalty that contributes to the overall story.

I think if the author spent more time developing his characters as real humans and less time telling his readers to think the same way his flawless "Advanced Intelligence" does, readers would feel more respected as the imperfect humans, who use still very imperfect technology, we all truly are.