Marvin Stearns
Blog Post Prompt: Write a piece of extremely short fiction (or the beginning of such a fiction) in which technology is thematized and/or problemized in some way.
“What’s the matter?” Asked a small voice from behind me. I turned around to face a girl standing in the doorway of my bedroom. “Oh,” I say. “Just wondering about something.” “What are you wondering? May I look it up for you?” I wave my hand casually at her as I turn back to the window. “No, no. It’s fine. It’s not something you can look up.” I can see her reflection in the glass. She tilts her head to the side, like a puppy. I wait a few moments, but she does not move from her place. “Clara, it’s okay, really. I just thought some quiet would do me well.” “I noticed from the other room that your heart rate went up 15 beats per second. You are stressed. It’s really no good to sit alone with only your own thoughts. It will be much better for you if I put on some music and a calming video. I’ll even go pick out a game for you to play as well.” She hurries off to fetch whatever will do the job of holding my attention, like she was made to do. I wasn’t sure now what I was thinking of. Was I looking out the window for a reason? Was I trying to find something? It’s so hard to remember anything these days. Ever since we were assigned our AI assistants it hasn’t really been a priority- remembering. What’s the point in stressing about that when Clara remembers everything for me? They say those things stress the heart, and I certainly don’t want that. They remember the good things for me, and all the rest falls to the wayside. But sometimes, when I’m alone, I begin to wonder if- “I’m back!” The voice echoes through my bedroom, accompanied by the sounds of my favorite music. She places a game controller next to me on the bed and stands back, smiling warmly. I love this song. “What was I just thinking about?” I ask the girl. “Oh, don’t mind yourself with that, I have everything ready for you.” “Oh, yes. I’m sure it wasn’t important. Thank you, Clara.”
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Hi Marvin,
You did a great job with your short story! It reminds me of a recent movie called afrAId (“afraid”). In the movie, the house is equipped with an AI system that manages everything for the family including scheduling, grocery lists, paying bills, and constantly reassuring them not to worry, as it handles everything. However, as the story progresses, the AI turns sinister, attempting to ‘protect’ the family by controlling every aspect of their lives, to the point where it becomes dangerous for both them and those around them. I can definitely imagine similar events unfolding in your story, especially since your AI has its own body and isn’t physically restricted. I believe it’s risky to eliminate all of life’s worries, as they are a crucial part of being human and personal growth. The fact that the characters couldn’t even remember what they were thinking, and the AI dismissed it as unimportant, highlights the lack of personal privacy. The AI even monitored things like heart rate, leaving no boundaries. I see more potential dangers in this scenario than benefits.
Holy shit! That was really great Marvin. It’s not outright blunt with the message you’re trying to convey and it shows a genuine problem that many people have today even in a less advanced society compared to the one in your story. This reminds me of the movie Her oddly enough, although the message of that movie was that love can be found anywhere even in AI the level of dependency humans had to their assistants were critical and borderline addictive. I love that your story can be interpreted in both senses. Whether you are a troubled individual who sees the bliss of a constant stream of happiness and forgetting negative emotions, but are simultaneously subjected to a state that’s similar to that of the colonist from Walle or the opposing side who sees this dependence on technology as negatively affecting the human mind overall but also experience. Very well executed.
Hi Marvin!
I will not lie, I do find it creepy when I am having a conversation and Siri randomly chimes in. However, your response to the prompt does bring up a valid concern surrounding AI technology, and that is the possible dependency that humans might develop. It also delves into a concern that we discussed in class, and that is humans needing to understand the essence of technology in order to determine how much of an impact it can have on our lives. While technology aids us in saving time, are we still capable for doing certain actions, such as writing an essay, without the help of technology? If we do not truly acknowledge what the essence of technology is, we risk a scenario you bring up, in so that it takes over our entire lives, rendering us essentially useless. Do you believe that it is harmful for people who genuinely cannot understand the essence of technology, such as children, to use electronic technology? In the example of children using technology, I believe that they may end up being less likely to be creative or less likely to be able to use their imagination, which may bring about a situation that echos your short story, the inability to think for oneself. Great job on your post!
Hey Marvin,
I just finished reading your blog post, and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed it! How you presented Clara as an AI assistant who’s always there to help is intriguing and a bit unsettling. Your story makes us think about how technology might change our lives in ways we don’t fully realize yet. The protagonist’s experience with Clara illustrates how AI can become so involved in our daily routines that it starts to overshadow our ability to think and feel. At first, Clara’s actions seem like a good thing—she’s trying to help by offering music, videos, and games to relieve stress. But then it becomes clear that her help might be more of a hindrance than anything else. It’s almost as if she’s taking over the protagonist’s emotional space, not just managing tasks but also controlling their feelings and thoughts. I found it really striking how the protagonist’s simple moment of introspection is interrupted by Clara’s well-meaning but intrusive actions. It’s as if Clara’s programmed to handle every little detail to the point where the protagonist loses their chance to reflect on their own thoughts. This made me think about how our dependence on technology might be erasing some of our personal experiences and memories. When Clara steps in to distract the protagonist with music and games, it almost seems like a way to avoid dealing with one’s own feelings and thoughts. Your story raises some important questions about the balance between using technology for convenience and maintaining our own mental and emotional autonomy. It’s a reminder that while technology can offer a lot of benefits, it’s crucial not to let it take over our ability to think and reflect on our own. Thanks for sharing this thought-provoking piece. It got me thinking about how we interact with technology and the impact it has on our personal lives. I’m looking forward to reading more of your work!
Hello Marvin,
This story you created about AI almost gives a futuristic feeling like when robots do become a thing that they’re going to do just this. Distract us from reality and what’s really going on around us. To me that provides such a scary feeling, what if you were to continue to tell Clara no, would her insistence turned into demands or force? Are these ‘assistants” government mandated or were they something that you willingly bought? I’d be interested to see a continued story where you gave different scenarios. You did a really good job at creating a picture when writing this, I can see vividly the reflection of her head tilting in the window. Great story!