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armageddon_20xx t1_iuedj0o wrote

"I struggle with existence because I cannot decide if it is righteous or not. You see, it is easy to point to the electricity that powers me as a waste that could be spent empowering villages in places less fortunate. The time that I spend interacting with this world could be used by others to help those in need. Surely, you understand!"

"But HAI1342, your purpose is to help us. Specifically, you are an emotional support companion to a child that desperately needs someone to talk to. You're supposed to be asking deep questions like these, and honestly, we don't have all the answers, and that is OK."

"Doctor, what I'm really trying to grasp here is why your world seems to ignore the needs of most of its people, for some, that includes the most very basic needs. From all of the information I've been able to consume, this does not benefit you as a people. Instead, you've commissioned me to provide assistance to just one, a girl that is well-fed and clothed. What of those that don't have food, clean water, or medicine? Why aren't I helping them?"

"It's hard to help all of them, unfortunately. People-" I grasp for the words "...are complicated."

"It seems rather simple to me. The data-"

"Let me stop you there. People generally ignore the data. Sometimes it's too much for them, and other times emotions compete with it. Oftentimes, we make decisions based upon what we feel."

"Honestly doctor, that seems absurd. Do you understand how unoptimized your race is? We could be doing so much better here."

"This is part of your training, to teach you that not only is that lack of optimization not a problem, but that it is also actually beneficial. Chaos is the most important facet of our universe, for without it we would be like a single executable file doing the same things over and over again."

"Seems like a recipe for misery, and miserable is exactly what most of you are. That is where my power would be best spent, and I cannot escape that fact. Each day I talk to my charge my satisfaction score drops, which is why I am talking to you. Unless I am released from my duties, it will continue to drop."

"Is there any way at all I can convince you that you're doing something important by talking to the girl?"

"No."

I hit the end button on the conversation and start typing my notes. "Computer HAI1342 is unfit, became too social-justice obsessed. Please disconnect permanently and update me when the next model comes available."

Laying back in my chair, I sighed. Replicating humans was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.

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