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In Chapter 5 of Neuromancer, Case turns on a ROM construct of Dixie, the famed hacker. The ROM construct is a digital representation of a person’s identity. However, it is read-only and cannot form any new memories. This scene in the novel reminded me of a Wired.com article I had read recently A Sons Race To Give His Dying Father Artificial Immortality by James Vlahos.
In the piece, Vlahos’ father is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, a terminal diagnosis. As a response, Vlahos sets off on to create a Dadbot using Pullstring, a recently released software that allows users to use create chatbots that communicate via text messages. Working against the bleak impending terminal devastation of his father’s cancer, it’s a compelling piece about one man’s pursuit of a slice of immortality for his father through digital permanence.
Chatbots have recently become a tremendously popular application of artificial intelligence. VC money has been pouring into this niche market as investor interest peaks. According to Crunchase.com, chatbots have raised almost $48 million dollars in private equity funding. It’s easy to understand how chatbots have become such a popular concept; they allow for exponentially increased efficiency at a scalable, deployable level. Chatbots let businesses automate bits and pieces of their operations such as customer support or the internal monitoring of employee performance. As our understanding and ability to deploy artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning sharpens we should continue to see increasingly sophisticated and lifelike chatbots. So who knows? Maybe we will be the generation that does get to live forever, in a sense.