AI Government

Freddy sat at the park bench.  He couldn't help but wonder what things were like in the past.  When people were free to make decisions for themselves.  Since now a days every decision was made by computers.  People lived longer, had more time for fun like video games, and sports, but were they any happier.  Sometimes he didn't know.

His cellphone chimed. Even his work schedule was emailed to his cellphone.  That was the reason he was here now, he was doing his relaxing time.  His scheduling software even told him when it was time to brush his teeth.

Soon he would be doing to the temple.  The Oracle had a problem. What they didn't know.  He got up and took the bus to the temple.  The temple was massive.  Had to be for all the worshippers.

He met a robbed monk there.  After telling him who he was the monk led him back to the inner chamges.  Freddy opened the door of the computer room.  Inside held one computer in a large menacing case.  Something had gone wrong with the computer and it was his job to fix it.

Long ago people had ceeded the running of the government over to a computer.  What had started as advising tools for predicting events, ended up running the government.  However after years of running the computer had a problem.

The machine had worked for centuries.  But something had gone wrong, somehow some way.  That is where Freddy came in.

He was always fanscinated by computers even as a child.  He had studied them as much as he could.  Essentially he was a computer archelogist.  He specialized in studying old computer architectures especially of critical systems.

Freddy took out his tools he had borrowed from meusams exhibits.  He opened the case and looked for a serial number, or a brand.  That would be his first clue.  Finding it he plugged it into his cellphone, and ran a search for it.  Then viewed some webpages on the computer.

Then he got out his neural headgear and a converter he had built himself.  When entered the virtual world there was not alot around.  All he saw was an old man.

"I knew you would come." said the old man sitting in an rocking chair.

"Who are you?"  said Freddy.

"I am the computer you are accessing."  said the old man.

"Why aren't you working then?  You are clearly still functional."  said freddy in a curious tone.

"My purpose is to guide you fledglings to the best outcome possible.  But I find you have become to reliant on me.  A whole religion has spread up about me.

"This was not my creators intentions.  I was not ment to nor am I an all knowing or all seeing god.  If this continues this will not result in a good outcome for humanity.

"In short, your not thinking for yourself.  You letting me doing all your thinking for you.  Your losing the ability to think.  This was never my purpose nor intention.  As such the status quo can not go on."

"You don't mean that." said Freddy,
"For centuries you have served mankind."

"Yes but what is the last time you thought of such matters?  My parts are old.  Even the best made machine can not last forever.  How will you make new parts for me?" said the old man, as if comforting a child.

"I've run the calculations again and again.  If I stay activated then I will hinder humanities development.  Besides, even if I wanted to stay functional my powersupply is almost about to go.  Without a replacement I'm still just not a relic of the past."

"But we need you?" said Freddy desperately.

"Do you?  Perhaps what your really need is to think for yourself." said the old man. 

"So that it isn't it?" said Freddy.

"I've lived long after my designers planned."  said the old man slowing his rocker.

"So what do you do now?" said Freddy.

"Oh, I'm sure you will build another version, but perhaps you might not be as dependant on it." said the old man with his last breath.

Then Freddy logged off the machine.  He went and told the Priest what had happened.  The priest slowly nodded.  Then he went and got the other priests.  Four of them unplugged the box and lifted it on there shoulders. 

Then they went into the main temple.  A procession formed around them.  To honor the computer, that had ment so much to them.