Great series. The ending really reminds me of the final lines of Roadside Picnic: [spoilers] The protagonist, after a harrowing journey through a dangerous alien landscape, finally finds the...
Great series. The ending really reminds me of the final lines of Roadside Picnic:
[spoilers]
The protagonist, after a harrowing journey through a dangerous alien landscape, finally finds the wish-granting Golden Sphere. After dwelling on dark feelings of revenge against his enemies, he approaches it and pleads:
“I am an animal, you see that. I don't have the words, they didn't teach me the words. I don't know how to think, the bastards didn't let me learn how to think. But if you really are… all-powerful… all-knowing… then you figure it out! Look into my heart. I know that everything you need is in there. It has to be. I never sold my soul to anyone! It's mine, it's human! You take from me what it is I want… it just can't be that I would want something bad! Damn it all, I can't think of anything, except those words of his… HAPPINESS FOR EVERYONE, FREELY, AND LET NO ONE BE LEFT BEHIND!
There's something really beautiful about a person at the end of everything facing God, or a djinn, or some other limitless power, and just begging for something so artless and selfless.
This lead me to God Hates Astronauts which I read when it was a webcomic, and which I have been thinking of and searching for lately. It doesn't come up when you search for "Comic about a...
This lead me to God Hates Astronauts which I read when it was a webcomic, and which I have been thinking of and searching for lately. It doesn't come up when you search for "Comic about a superhero whose head gets all gross."
And as luck would have it, my local public library carries the omnibus edition!
I just wanted to thank you for posting this. I just finished it and, man, what a read. As I read it, i couldn't help but think about what an increasingly powerful artificial intelligence interface...
I just wanted to thank you for posting this. I just finished it and, man, what a read. As I read it, i couldn't help but think about what an increasingly powerful artificial intelligence interface grants people. The dream of agentic AI isn't so far off from a wish-granting, omnicient genie that exists to fulfill your desire.
... Yes it is. It is very far off from a wish-granting genie. "I wish to own a $20 million dollar penthouse apartment in NYC, and have enough money to live an equivalent lifestyle, invited to the...
... Yes it is. It is very far off from a wish-granting genie.
"I wish to own a $20 million dollar penthouse apartment in NYC, and have enough money to live an equivalent lifestyle, invited to the best private parties, dining at the most prestigious restaurants, and collecting unique art."
Note that, while I do mention money, most of the wish centers around access. Even when an AI can answer anything, and even if the benefits of AI are broadly distributed with a UBI to make sure everyone is cared for, there will still be rarity and limits on access. There are only so many pretty pieces of coastline, only so many Monets.
I think the difference is between the practical limits that you mention and (what I percieve as being the impression that others have about) the dream of agentic AI. Practically speaking, no such...
I think the difference is between the practical limits that you mention and (what I percieve as being the impression that others have about) the dream of agentic AI. Practically speaking, no such system can possibly grant a wish, but it struck me as similar to the dream or apotheosis of such a system.
Meta: Do we want to do more of these issue 1 threads? I ran The Wednesday Pull as sort of a show and tell, what are you reading check-in. It didn't really catch on and it overlapped a little more...
Meta: Do we want to do more of these issue 1 threads? I ran The Wednesday Pull as sort of a show and tell, what are you reading check-in. It didn't really catch on and it overlapped a little more with the equivalent ~books thread than I'd like it to, but making a sort of book club around this might be something a little more accessible?
For interested folks, it's available on the library app hoopla
(Since afaict this only has the first issue for free online)
I was able to get this through my local Canadian library in Libby.
The first issue planted the seed, and now I'm hooked and half-way through them all.
Yay I'm in the middle of it now :D
Great series. The ending really reminds me of the final lines of Roadside Picnic:
[spoilers]
The protagonist, after a harrowing journey through a dangerous alien landscape, finally finds the wish-granting Golden Sphere. After dwelling on dark feelings of revenge against his enemies, he approaches it and pleads:“I am an animal, you see that. I don't have the words, they didn't teach me the words. I don't know how to think, the bastards didn't let me learn how to think. But if you really are… all-powerful… all-knowing… then you figure it out! Look into my heart. I know that everything you need is in there. It has to be. I never sold my soul to anyone! It's mine, it's human! You take from me what it is I want… it just can't be that I would want something bad! Damn it all, I can't think of anything, except those words of his… HAPPINESS FOR EVERYONE, FREELY, AND LET NO ONE BE LEFT BEHIND!
There's something really beautiful about a person at the end of everything facing God, or a djinn, or some other limitless power, and just begging for something so artless and selfless.
This lead me to God Hates Astronauts which I read when it was a webcomic, and which I have been thinking of and searching for lately. It doesn't come up when you search for "Comic about a superhero whose head gets all gross."
And as luck would have it, my local public library carries the omnibus edition!
So thanks!
I just wanted to thank you for posting this. I just finished it and, man, what a read. As I read it, i couldn't help but think about what an increasingly powerful artificial intelligence interface grants people. The dream of agentic AI isn't so far off from a wish-granting, omnicient genie that exists to fulfill your desire.
... Yes it is. It is very far off from a wish-granting genie.
"I wish to own a $20 million dollar penthouse apartment in NYC, and have enough money to live an equivalent lifestyle, invited to the best private parties, dining at the most prestigious restaurants, and collecting unique art."
Note that, while I do mention money, most of the wish centers around access. Even when an AI can answer anything, and even if the benefits of AI are broadly distributed with a UBI to make sure everyone is cared for, there will still be rarity and limits on access. There are only so many pretty pieces of coastline, only so many Monets.
I think the difference is between the practical limits that you mention and (what I percieve as being the impression that others have about) the dream of agentic AI. Practically speaking, no such system can possibly grant a wish, but it struck me as similar to the dream or apotheosis of such a system.
Meta: Do we want to do more of these issue 1 threads? I ran The Wednesday Pull as sort of a show and tell, what are you reading check-in. It didn't really catch on and it overlapped a little more with the equivalent ~books thread than I'd like it to, but making a sort of book club around this might be something a little more accessible?