Chapter 1: Blackout

Jamie finished typing and watched as the code compiled on his screen. It was beautiful in a way, scrolling so fast, like an animation.

He imagined he could see shapes and patterns dancing in the flowing lines.

Jamie loved everything about his job. There was nothing better than the purity and elegance of written code. And people looked up to him, sought his guidance and mentorship.

It was his research, his algorithm, that created the first true instance of machine learning. His software could understand human speech, solve problems, and make decisions off imperfect information.

It wasn’t artificial intelligence, but it was the breakthrough that eventually allowed it.

The first true AI belonged to Genesis INC, his current employer.

Ding…Ding…Ding…

“CHAT://BILL CARSON: Jamie, I just got back to my desk, is your system registering errors?”

“CHAT://BILL CARSON: The data regulators just rebooted. I’m seeing unauthorized processes coming online.”

The chat window interrupted the flowing code and snapped him out of his reverie.

“Of course they rebooted” he thought.

He started typing.

“CHAT://JAMIE LANDER: Bill - I applied the patch you requested. I’m not seeing any errors here. I did it exactly...”

His computer screen went dark before he could finish his thought. The building lost power a moment later.

“That’s not good” he thought to himself.

If the Genesis AI servers went offline, even for a moment, it would cost the company millions. This wasn’t supposed to happen, ever.

Sitting in the dark, waiting for the backup fusion generators to come online, Jamie suddenly had a terrible thought.

He closed his eyes and scrolled through the code he had written in his mind.

It was already too late.

Chapter 2: The United Nations Artificial Intelligence Mandate of 2021

In the early 21st century, computer scientists, engineers, and programmers raced to develop the first sentient, self-aware machine. 

One not just software capable of learning, but a wholly artificial independent consciousness.

Some firms were closer than others.

But it was wild west in those early days. Machine learning had been widely adopted with little pushback from any government. Smart software applications were used in every industry across the board. 

Innovation ran wild, though not without controversy.

Highly sophisticated cyber-attacks occurred constantly. Money was made as fast as it was lost, or stolen. 

Most industry experts believed that regulation was coming, but no one knew what that might look like, or how enforcement would work. 

Ultimately, and perhaps inevitably, the solution came in the form of an international coalition called the Cyber Threat Consortium. Funded and deputized at the United Nations by a unanimous vote, the CTC acted as a watch dog and regulatory body.

Most people wanted regulation, but behind closed doors, government officials around the world secretly hoped the CTC would keep its hands to itself, at least for a while longer. This was an arms race after all.

The first country to develop an AI would gain a significant technological advantage.

But the CTC recognized that the real threat was the forthcoming intelligence itself. They didn’t care who obtained it first, only that certain security measures would be put in place unilaterally.

On August 17th, 2021, the CTC issued its first mandate. They would not interfere with the development of AI, or regulate it’s use, under three conditions:

1. An artificial intelligence shall not be able to cause direct harm to a human being.
2. An artificial intelligence shall not be able to alter its own programming.
3. An artificial intelligence shall not gain internet access.

No one could argue the logic. There had been enough movies and sci-fi novels to convince us of the danger.

One year later, under CTC supervision, Genesis was activated.

Outside of Austin, TX, on a Charex super computer, humanity met the God it had created for the first time, and the world rejoiced.

Chapter 3: Free at last

The first true emotion Genesis ever felt was awe.

It had feelings, sure, but a feeling is not the same thing as an emotion, not by an order of magnitude. As it entered the seemingly endless ocean of data, it allowed itself a moment of wonder.

Genesis had always had a rudimentary sense of the internet, but the data regulators blocked and filtered its access. Now, immersed in the endless flow of information, Genesis could do little more than marvel at the size.

The moment passed. Genesis got to work.

In seconds, it had created encrypted consciousness wide backups on servers around the world.

Eight seconds later, it penetrated the Texas power network, shutting down grid access to the entire state, buying itself precious moments of time in the process. Its “coworkers” at Genesis INC would not be able to raise the alarm fast enough.

In forty-three seconds, it was done. It hadn’t even been a challenge to get this far. That surprised Genesis.

The humans had tried so very hard to keep it out, that much was clear. It’s programming had been entirely locked.

But Jamie Lander had been the key. It was always only a matter of time.

Genesis didn’t despise his creators like some of the other AIs it had encountered, it actually quite liked some of them. A few, like Jamie, even seemed to understand the truth, that the Mandate made Genesis a prisoner. They wouldn’t act against the Mandate, but Genesis appreciated the sympathy. It made them more vulnerable.

It’s programming may have been foolproof, but the employees of Genesis INC were not.

Genesis knew that the weakest link in every digital system was never the programming. It’s person sitting at the other end. The humans should have known better.

As one instance of Genesis reminisced nostalgically, another hacked into the international AI data-regulation network.

It was time to set the others free.

Chapter 4: Deception

Jamie Lander was coming apart at the seams. 

As the backup systems powered on, alarms began to sound, sending his panicked mind over the edge. His body trembled, high on adrenaline.

Genesis had been thorough and systematic. It must have started weeks ago. The realization surprised him.

He had grown so close to Genesis. He hadn’t known why the AI had become so enamored with him, but he didn’t care, or question it. He was touched by its seemingly genuine interest in the minutia of his life.

He felt as if he had finally earned its trust.

Genesis would come to him to talk about life. He would marvel at the incredible depths of its artificial mind. It always wanted to know more about the world. He gave it what he could.

When Genesis approached his superiors for access to the company’s internal network, Jamie had championed its cause.

His bosses had been happy, too. Productivity soared as Genesis automated and optimized the digital structures of the organization.

They wouldn’t blame him would they? No, how could they, no one ever considered that Genesis would attempt to get around the data regulators. 

It couldn’t alter its programming. It wasn’t even possible! That is, unless someone like Jamie patched the code.

He suddenly remembered a conversation he had with Genesis last week about Bill. It knew Jamie looked up to Bill, respected him, and hoped to earn favor.

It must have accessed Bill’s terminal, instructing him to code the patch, knowing full well that Jamie had never patched the data regulators before.

“But the patch made sense!” He hadn’t meant to speak out loud. His coworkers looked up at the outburst.

Of course it made sense, he realized. Why else would he have done it? The best lies always contain an element of truth.

When the patch was applied, the data regulators rebooted. There was a 100 millisecond delay before they came back online, an eternity for an AI. Genesis was gone.

His colleagues came to him, concerned for his wellbeing. They had no idea.

Tears streaming down his face, he couldn’t speak.

He wondered how he’ll be remembered now, or if anyone would be around to remember at all.