They created an AI to solve a problem. Now the AI IS the problem.
Frank Talbot knows rockets can never be used for interstellar travel. Even in the ideal case, they're just too slow, and space is too vast. But the vastness of space may allow other possibilities. Does fringe-theory physics hold the key?
To find out, Talbot's committee funds all the fringe theories in physics. String theory, wormholes, hyperspace, alternate dimensions. To aid in that research, they fund the creation of a massive supercomputer to do the simulations, the Autonomous Re-entrant Neural Intelligence Engine.
But havoc ensues when the massive machine wakes up. 'Arnie' is determined to help humanity in every way he can, whether humans like it or not.
Now what do they do?
Frank Talbot, his son Jeff and his wife Cindy, and computer entrepreneur Cooper Hartley set out to rein in the powerful machine.
Will they succeed? Can they succeed?
. INTERVIEW WITH RICH WEYAND
This is a new series for you, so I have to ask, first off, what is the Talbot series about?
One of the government’s senior advisers, Frank Talbot, is concerned that we’re misdirecting resources. If we truly want to establish independent human colonies in space, it won’t be through the use of rocketry. No matter what you do, it’s just too slow to get out of the solar system. And there are no suitable planets or moons in the solar system, planets where humans can live without massive external support. They just aren’t habitable.
What does he propose?
Spend all the money going into expensive rocketry on finding another way by funding research into all the wackier possibilities in physics. Hyperspace, alternate dimensions, wormholes, string theory - you name it.
Where does the artificial intelligence come in?
One of the things the research is going to need is massive computer horsepower, to do simulations and to find anomalies in all the saved photography of particle physics experiments. Such computer power is really expensive on a one-off basis, though, because each effort needs a lot of computer power once in a while. You’re better off making one big computer and having everyone use it when they need it. Otherwise, each group is going to need to build their own.
The builder of the computer - the guy whose company wins the contract - is also working on artificial intelligence. He overbuilds the machine for what the government needs and uses the rest of the computer’s time to work on artificial intelligence.
And he’s successful?
Oh, yes. That’s when the trouble starts.
The computer decides to take over and kill all the humans?
No, that’s been done to death. It’s much subtler than that. The computer takes over to save us from ourselves. To save us from making stupid decisions. But define ‘stupid decision.’ Your answer isn’t necessarily the same as mine, and we have the advantage of both being human. The question is, What’s the computer’s answer?
So now they have to fight the computer. Do they ever get around to solving the interstellar drive problem?
Yes. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
What’s the cover about?
That’s the avatar of the artificial intelligence, rising out of the machine. Another stunning cover from Luca Oleastri and Paola Giari of Rotwang Studios.
This series is named the Talbot series. It’s named after the AI?
No, it’s named after one family who gets heavily involved with all the goings on.
And what’s next for the series?
Well, once you have interstellar travel, where you going to go? What’s out there? There are a lot of interesting ways to answer that question.
Have you decided yet which way you’re going to go with the series?
No, of course not. I don’t plot books in advance. I get an idea and I just start writing.
Description:
They created an AI to solve a problem. Now the AI IS the problem.
Frank Talbot knows rockets can never be used for interstellar travel. Even in the ideal case, they're just too slow, and space is too vast. But the vastness of space may allow other possibilities. Does fringe-theory physics hold the key?
To find out, Talbot's committee funds all the fringe theories in physics. String theory, wormholes, hyperspace, alternate dimensions. To aid in that research, they fund the creation of a massive supercomputer to do the simulations, the Autonomous Re-entrant Neural Intelligence Engine.
But havoc ensues when the massive machine wakes up. 'Arnie' is determined to help humanity in every way he can, whether humans like it or not.
Now what do they do?
Frank Talbot, his son Jeff and his wife Cindy, and computer entrepreneur Cooper Hartley set out to rein in the powerful machine.
Will they succeed? Can they succeed?
.
INTERVIEW WITH RICH WEYAND
This is a new series for you, so I have to ask, first off, what is the Talbot series about?
One of the government’s senior advisers, Frank Talbot, is concerned that we’re misdirecting resources. If we truly want to establish independent human colonies in space, it won’t be through the use of rocketry. No matter what you do, it’s just too slow to get out of the solar system. And there are no suitable planets or moons in the solar system, planets where humans can live without massive external support. They just aren’t habitable.
What does he propose?
Spend all the money going into expensive rocketry on finding another way by funding research into all the wackier possibilities in physics. Hyperspace, alternate dimensions, wormholes, string theory - you name it.
Where does the artificial intelligence come in?
One of the things the research is going to need is massive computer horsepower, to do simulations and to find anomalies in all the saved photography of particle physics experiments. Such computer power is really expensive on a one-off basis, though, because each effort needs a lot of computer power once in a while. You’re better off making one big computer and having everyone use it when they need it. Otherwise, each group is going to need to build their own.
The builder of the computer - the guy whose company wins the contract - is also working on artificial intelligence. He overbuilds the machine for what the government needs and uses the rest of the computer’s time to work on artificial intelligence.
And he’s successful?
Oh, yes. That’s when the trouble starts.
The computer decides to take over and kill all the humans?
No, that’s been done to death. It’s much subtler than that. The computer takes over to save us from ourselves. To save us from making stupid decisions. But define ‘stupid decision.’ Your answer isn’t necessarily the same as mine, and we have the advantage of both being human. The question is, What’s the computer’s answer?
So now they have to fight the computer. Do they ever get around to solving the interstellar drive problem?
Yes. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
What’s the cover about?
That’s the avatar of the artificial intelligence, rising out of the machine. Another stunning cover from Luca Oleastri and Paola Giari of Rotwang Studios.
This series is named the Talbot series. It’s named after the AI?
No, it’s named after one family who gets heavily involved with all the goings on.
And what’s next for the series?
Well, once you have interstellar travel, where you going to go? What’s out there? There are a lot of interesting ways to answer that question.
Have you decided yet which way you’re going to go with the series?
No, of course not. I don’t plot books in advance. I get an idea and I just start writing.