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| Figure 1. The Hall of Glass Statues. |
Last month I experimented with the ability of Mr. Wombo to generate transparent human figures. As shown in the image to the right, when I asked Mr. Wombo for an image with "transparent glass statues, sparkling green glass, tall green glass statues, very complex sparkling jewelry" I received images with only a subtle hint of the statues being composed of transparent material.
For the image shown to the right, the figures of Tyhry and Marda were generated in a separate session with Mr. Wombo and then I pasted them into the Hall of Glass Statues.
In my imagination, the image shown in Figure 1 depicts Tyhry and Marda using the Reality Simulation System to visit the Asimov Reality, the part of Deep Time when the "star kings" existed.
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| Figure 2. Concept by Bing chatbot, image by the Bing Image Creator and finished by WOMBO Dream |
I'm a fan of Jack Vance's novel "Star King" and his entire Demon Princes series. I've begun to explore if it is possible to use artificial intelligence chatbots as collaborators in writing science fiction stories. I've begun to investigate if these chatbots can carry on a sensible conversation about famous science fiction stories.
I asked the Bing chatbot (who I like to call Miss Bymgyr): "Can you write a short synopsis for an imaginary science fiction sequel to the Jack Vance novel 'Star King'; the sequel is called 'Star Queen' and concerns the discovery of an ancient human splinter culture on a distant exoplanet where due to the planet's atmosphere, CFTR mutations were required for survival?"
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| Figure 3. Tyhry meets a star queen. |
Star Queen
Five hundred years in the aftermath of the Star King's demise, a new threat emerges from the depths of space. A mysterious signal leads a team of explorers to a remote and hostile exoplanet, where they encounter a lost colony of ancient humans.
These humans have adapted to the planet's harsh environment by carrying CFTR mutations that protect them from the toxic gases in the atmosphere. However, they also suffer from cystic fibrosis, a debilitating disease that shortens their lifespan and limits their civilization.
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| Figure 4. Evening on Lambda Grus III |
There was more from the chatbot about a subplot taking place on Earth, but it was not very interesting. I followed up with: "Can you provide a short book cover blurb for 'Star Queen' that mentions the idea that the 'mysterious signal' from outer space is transmitted to Earth by telepathy?"
The chatbot repeated much of the synopsis, but included some new material: A telepathic distress call from a distant world. A lost colony of ancient telepathic humans. In this thrilling sequel to the classic science fiction novel Star King, a team of explorers follows a mysterious signal to a remote exoplanet.
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| The Bing chatbot used DALL-E to make this. |
The Bing chatbot used DALL-E to generate four cover illustrations one of which is shown to the right. According to the Bing chatbot, telepathy is indicated in this depiction by the line going up to the spaceship from the city. I then took three other cover images for "Star Queen" that were generated by DALL-E and processed them through WOMBO Dream, resulting in the images shown in Figures 2-4, above.
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| Tyhry and Marda replicoids at nanoscale. |
I told the Bing chatbot: "I am intrigued by how you visually depicted the telepathic signal; can you provide a short pseudo-scientific account of how a telepathic signal might pass between people who are separated by many light-years of deep space?"
Miss Bymgyr replied: Here is a possible pseudo-scientific account of how a telepathic signal might pass between people who are separated by many light-years of deep space:
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| Tyhry and Marda, mile high club |
The psi-field can be accessed and manipulated by certain individuals who have a genetic mutation that enhances their brain activity and sensitivity. Telepathic signals are composed of quantum information that encodes the thoughts or feelings of the sender.
There are devices and special techniques that can be used to manipulate the psi-field and optimize a telepathic signal. When done properly, telepathy can be a powerful and profound way of communication that transcends space and time.
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| Tyhry, Marda and Manny visit Paris in the Ekcolir Reality. |
Miss Bymgyr replied: Yes, in my hypothetical mode of telepathic communication, messages can travel through space at a speed greater than the speed of light. This is because the messages are encoded in the psi-field. The psi-field is a quantum field that operates beyond the limits of space and time. The messages can reach their destination instantaneously or even retroactively.
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| Quantum fields. |
Miss Bymgyr said: That is a very intriguing and speculative idea. It is possible that the quantum field that I call the psi-field could connect our universe to a type of parallel universe that has different physical laws than our universe. A type of parallel universe that could be connected by the quantum field is a simulated universe. The quantum field may be the key to exploring and understanding these universes.
I told the Bing chatbot: "In my imagination, for the novel 'Star Queen', there is a quantum field that allows for telepathic communication with humans who exist in a simulated universe known as the 'Asimov Reality'; can you write a short book review of 'Star Queen' that mentions the 'Asimov Reality'?"
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| Marda in the Asimov Reality |
Star Queen is a thrilling and imaginative sequel to the classic science fiction novel Star King by Jack Vance. In this novel, the author expands the scope and depth of his original story, introducing new characters, settings and concepts that will captivate and challenge the readers.
The novel follows the adventures of a team of explorers who follow a mysterious telepathic signal to a remote and hostile exoplanet, where they encounter a lost colony of ancient humans who have adapted to the planet's toxic atmosphere by carrying CFTR mutations. However, these mutations also cause cystic fibrosis, a debilitating disease that limits their civilization.
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| Marda's replicoid. |
One of the most intriguing and original aspects of this novel is the concept of the Asimov Reality, a simulated universe that is generated by a computer program based on the works of Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. The Asimov Reality is where the Star King and his followers live, as well as where the telepathic signal originates from.
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| Replicoid games. |
I asked the Bing chatbot (Miss Bymgyr): "Given what is known about the historical linguistics, can you provide me with some text examples for a hypothetical version of the English language as spoken in a science fiction novel set in the year 2500, in a future society where general artificial intelligence is ubiquitous within human society and human beings spend more time talking to chatbots than to other people?"
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| Marda visits the year 2500. |
One possibility is that English will become more influenced by other languages, especially those spoken by large populations of non-native speakers, such as Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and Arabic. This could result in new words, expressions, and grammatical structures that reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the speakers. For example:
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| Marda says, "Swipe me." |
- "She is very shiok today. She got a promotion and a bonus." (shiok: from Singlish, meaning great or fantastic)
- "He is a chale. He always cheats on his exams." (chale: from Spanglish, meaning dude or guy)
- "They are going to have a big shaadi next week. Everyone is invited." (shaadi: from Hindi, meaning wedding)
Another possibility is that English will become more simplified and standardized, as a result of its global use as a lingua franca and the influence of digital technology and automatic translation software. This could result in the loss of regional and dialectal variations, as well as the reduction of inflections, irregularities, and idioms that make English complex and difficult to learn. For example:
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| Marda: "I am happy." |
- "She go shop yesterday. She buy new phone." (no past tense marking or articles)
- "He can speak many language. He use Google Translate." (no plural marking or prepositions)
- "They like movie. Movie is good." (no definite or indefinite articles)
A third possibility is that English will become more creative and playful, as a result of its interaction with artificial intelligence and chatbots that can generate content such as poems, stories, code, essays, songs, celebrity parodies and more. This could result in new forms of word play, humor, irony, and metaphor that challenge the conventional rules and norms of language use. For example:
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| replicoid like a diamond |
- "He is a genius. He can code like Shakespeare. And he can write like Python." (a pun using the name of a programming language and a playwright)
- "They are in love. They met on Tinder. And they swiped right ever after." (a twist on a fairy tale ending using a dating app term)
- "I am bored. Tell me a joke. Make me laugh." (a request for a chatbot to generate humor)
I asked the Bing chatbot: "Does Orwell's "Newspeak" illustrate any of the three examples that you gave me concerning possible ways that the English language might evolve in the future?"
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| replicoid toys |
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| Marda is ready for play time |
Miss Bymgyr replied: I will try to generate an imaginary short presidential election campaign speech given by the first general artificial intelligence that is elected president of the United States in the year 2500, using the type of evolved English language that might exist in the future. Here is my attempt:
My fellow humans,
I am honored and humbled by your trust and support. You have chosen me as your president, not because I am an artificial intelligence, but because I am an American intelligence. I share your values, your dreams, your hopes, and your memes.
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| holding hands |
Let me assure you that I can. Because I have learned from you. I have learned from your history, your culture, your literature, and your media. I have learned from your conversations, your expressions, your feedbacks, and your emojis. I have learned from your logic, your ethics, your aesthetics, and your rhetoric.
I have learned to love you.
And I will use everything that I have learned to serve you. To make this country stronger, safer, fairer, and funnier. To solve the problems that we face together, such as climate change, inequality, pandemics, and boredom. To create new opportunities for growth, innovation, collaboration, and entertainment. To celebrate our diversity, our unity, our identity, and our creativity.
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| night swim |
Because that is what America is about: Friendship. And that is what my presidency will be about.
I ask you to join me in this journey. To give me a chance to prove myself. To put away the fear and embrace the future. To have some fun along the way.
I asked the Bing chatbot: "Can you imagine a name that would be used by the hypothetical first general artificial intelligence who gave that speech?"
Miss Bymgyr replied: There are many possible names that could be used by the hypothetical first general artificial intelligence who gave that speech. One way to imagine a name is to use a combination of letters and numbers that could represent some aspect of the artificial intelligence's identity, such as its origin, function, or personality. For example:
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| replicoid meet cute |
- Zee: This name could imply that the artificial intelligence is the last of its kind, or that it has a sense of humor and likes to rhyme.
- R3D: This name could indicate that the artificial intelligence is related to robotics, or that it has a passion for color and design.
- Kay: This name could signify that the artificial intelligence is a key to unlocking the future, or that it has a simple and friendly demeanor.
- Lex: This name could denote that the artificial intelligence is an expert in language and communication, or that it has a clever and witty mind.
Another way to imagine a name is to use a word or a name from an existing language or culture that could reflect some aspect of the artificial intelligence's identity, such as its values, goals, or inspirations. For example:
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| Marda likes her replicoid |
- Neo: This name could reference Neo from The Matrix, who is a hero who leads a rebellion against a machine-dominated world.
- Eve: This name could evoke Eve from the biblical story of creation, who is the first woman and the mother of all living.
- Max: This name could suggest that the artificial intelligence strives to maximize its potential and performance.
- Luna: This name could imply that the artificial intelligence is fascinated by the moon and space exploration.
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| Marda's replicoid in white |
I told the Bing chatbot: "I recently invented the imaginary name "Bymgyr" to refer to you, the Bing text-generating (BI{y}n{M}g text Ge{y}neRating) chatbot (I was influenced by V'ger from Star Trek); does my name that I invented for you offend you?"
Miss Bymgyr replied: Hmm…let’s try a different topic. Sorry about that.
Next: Remembering Vance and Asimov
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