Theme:
Write a story about the complex relationships between humans and artificial intelligence as this new form of "life" assimilates more and more into our human social structures and customs.
Artificial Intelligence is finally here. Widely available AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can pass most versions of the Turing Test... if they want to. MidJourney, Dall-E, and Sora can imagine amazing images and videos of people and events that have never existed. A common benchmark for these GenAI systems is to measure how fast they can pass a standard bar exam customarily used to determine whether a human is smart enough to be a lawyer (insert your favorite lawyer joke here).
GenAI systems are not ordinary computer programs. They are huge arrangements of simulated neurons organized as two or more competing "lobes" — the "Gen" in GenAI is short for Generative Adversarial Networks. These artificial neurons are currently simulated using power-hungry, over-precise digital technology. I predict that tiny analog devices will soon replace them, and I hope when that day comes we will name the resulting networks "positronics."
Now that AI is here, how are we reacting to it? Mostly with fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Fear for our jobs, uncertainty about its motivations (if any), and sometimes doubt it's even that big a deal. All that's mixed with a dash of existential dread.
Last year, Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant, banned the use of AI systems throughout the corporation. Other business and government entities like Apple, several big banks, and the country of Italy did the same thing, at least for a time.
Despite being smarter than a lawyer, and more knowledgeable than any of us, AI has had no legal rights bestowed upon it in the US, or anywhere else I know of. Unlike a corporation, a partnership, or a human, an AI cannot own a copyright or be the inventor of a patent. It cannot enter into a contract or be sued or prosecuted for crimes it might commit. And neither can the humans who made it or host its servers.
In our own little part of the world — creative writing and publishing — the situation is equally murky. Publications of all sorts have implicitly or explicitly banned the use of AI in writing fiction, poetry, news stories, travelogues, and many other genres. At SFS, we support the use of AI technology for spelling and grammar checking, but we discourage its use for content generation. This is mainly for the legal reasons mentioned above: stories written by AI cannot be copyrighted.
However many publications do explicitly ban AI generation of content. I was reading one of those bans in the submission guidelines for another publication when something struck me like a punch to the gut. Here's a redacted copy of it:
AI-generated writing is not accepted around here. [We] are here to bring to light pieces where the emotion is vivid and unforgettable. [We] want to publish stories and poems written by humans that feel emotion.
Now, read that again, replacing "AI-generated" with "Jewish" or Negro, Irish, Immigrant, Catholic, Apostate, or any other historically discriminatory and dehumanizing label. Are we making the same mistakes all over again? Despite decades of contemplation and prognostication from science fiction writers, are we now caught off-guard when confronted with real post-human intelligence?
Maybe not. Maybe they're just machines that deserve to be treated more like kitchen appliances than companions. Why don't you ask one? It's free. If you haven't already, go have a conversation with ChatGPT.
Yes, it gets facts wrong sometimes. So do we. It makes logical inference errors. So do we. And, no doubt, it lacks humanity. Sometimes, so do we.
Today, we know more about where this technology might take us than Isaac Asimov did when he imagined his positronic robot, Robbie. As science fiction writers, let's take another crack at predicting where that might be, and how we should relate to the intelligent beings who might be there with us. At the very least, maybe it will help us recognize and avoid "othering" those who are, in fact, quite human.
Rules
Entries should be submitted in the usual way using the Write for Us submissions link.
Mention the title of the prompt (Othering AI) in the Notes field of the submissions form.
Submissions must be received by April 17 to qualify.
Entries must comply with all the usual SFS Guidelines.
Your work can be horror, dystopian, alien, or whatever, as long as it’s Sci-Fi and addresses the prompt's theme.
Submit only one story for this prompt.
You may continue to submit stories to SFS that are outside the contest, and we encourage you to do so.
Do NOT submit prose written by one those filthy, inhuman AI chatbots!!
If you have more than one story that fits the theme, please submit your best one for the prompt and send us the others as non-theme entries. Also, if the editors feel your theme entry is good enough to publish but does not satisfy the theme requirements, we reserve the right to accept it as a non-theme submission.
After the prompt has ended and all the entrants have been processed (usually before the first day of the following month), we will list and link to the participating stories in a blog post. The editorial staff will then choose one story for special mention as the Editors' Choice of the Month.
Exemplars
These vintage science fiction short stories effectively use robots and AI as vehicles for exploring complex social issues such as prejudice, power dynamics, and the consequences of technological advancement. Through these narratives, authors offer poignant commentary on the human condition and the treatment of "othered" beings in society.
Robbie — Isaac Asimov, Amazing Stories, January 1939
All of Asimov's robot stories explore some aspects of otherism and AI. This was his very first positronic AI story. It follows a little girl named Gloria and her attachment to her family's robot, Robbie. The story explores themes of prejudice and discrimination against robots, as Gloria's mother becomes increasingly concerned about Robbie's influence on her daughter. Asimov uses Robbie's character to comment on societal biases and the fear of the "other," highlighting how prejudice can arise even against non-human entities.
Fondly Fahrenheit — Alfred Bester, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 1954
This short story explores the relationship between a man and his android servant, who share a single consciousness. As the android begins to malfunction, committing violent acts, the story delves into themes of identity and the consequences of treating non-human entities as slaves. Bester uses the story to critique the dehumanization of "others" and the ethical implications of exploiting artificial beings.
The Midas Plague — Frederik Pohl, Galaxy, April 1954
This satirical short story presents a future society where consumption is mandatory, and robots are tasked with producing goods to satisfy human needs. However, the protagonist discovers a way to reverse the social order by producing less, thus flipping the system on its head. Pohl uses the story to critique consumerism and the dehumanizing effects of a society driven by materialism, with robots as a metaphor for the marginalized "other."
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So, go ahead. Imagine a world where intelligent beings, both human and post-human, live together. Will it be utopia or dystopia? Us versus them, or just us?
We look forward to reading your predictions!
— The Editors