G's Future

by Don Viecelli

  Suddenly, G burst through the onlookers and dove off the pier, disappearing beneath the murky water. A few seconds later he broke the surface with the little girl sputtering in his arm. There was a look of shock on her face from not understanding what was happening. G swam to the mother and told her to hold the girl while he pulled both of them to the side of the pier. He held on to a crevice with one hand and literally handed the mother with her child in her arms to the people waiting above.

  G looked up and saw Timothy pointing to another young man who was struggling in the water almost twenty feet from the pier. The person went under for the third and final time. G did not hesitate. He went beneath the water and swam directly to the spot where the person had disappeared. G could easily see the man sinking helplessly to the bottom of the lake with his hands outstretched and his eyes staring vacantly ahead. People on the walkway watched in stunned silence. A good thirty seconds passed without any sight of G or the man. The crowd grew anxious. Finally, G broke the surface with a limp, unconscious man in his arm. He swam back to the pier and lifted him up to waiting paramedics who had finally arrived on the scene. By then all the people who had been knocked into the water were accounted for. He shouted at Timothy and told him to go to the other side of the pier. When G turned his head he noticed a woman reporter and her cameraman. The woman was looking straight at him. G quickly disappeared under the water. Only a few people near Timothy realized that the figure that had possibly saved three lives was an android.

  G stayed under the splashing waves as he swam to the other side of the pier where there was a safety latter available to climb out of the water. Timothy and Charles were waiting for him when he finally stepped onto the walkway dripping wet. “Follow me, G,” Charles said looking relieved. “We need to get you inside. I’ll send Timothy to get you some dry clothes from the car.”

  Timothy walked beside G and handed him his Cubs baseball hat. He finally said, “I didn’t know you could swim, G.”

  “Swimming is educational and stimulating. The lake is filled with wonderful creatures and plant life.” He did not mention drowning people. His every step squished with water from his sneakers.

  “Won’t the water affect your circuits?” Charles asked.

  “No, I am designed to be waterproof and resistant to the elements so I can operate in almost any environment.”

  “I see.” Charles looked back. No one was following them. He knew that would not last long. He was sure what G just did would be all over the news before the day was over.

  They reached the escalators to the main conference room. Julian was waiting for them at the top. He looked very concerned. “Is everyone alright?” Charles and Timothy answered yes.

  “I saw what happened out the front windows, G. Are you okay?”

  “I am fine, Julian. I am ready to complete the contest now.”

  Charles spoke up. “Timothy will go to the car to get a change of clothes for G. We’ll wait in the men’s room for you, Timothy.” He gave Timothy his keys.

  Timothy grabbed the keys and raced down the escalator on his way to the parking lot to get a change of clothes. Charles escorted Julian and G to the restroom to wait.

  *****

  Sara Jennings, the news reporter who had seen G in the water, saw another man and a boy escorting G into the conference center. She decided to follow them inside. When she and her cameraman, Bill Rawling, tried to get to the escalator, they were stopped and not allowed to enter the contest area without media credentials. She turned to Bill. “Did you get the shots?” Bill said yes. She pulled on his vest and said, “Send the pictures to our news desk. I’ll write the story and send it in fifteen minutes. Then I’ll get credentials to get us inside this contest. We’re not dealing with an ordinary android here. We need to find out that android’s story.”

  *****

  Herbert and the other seven judges watched the whole episode from the upstairs meeting room windows. They had just witnessed a truly amazing event. Never before has a machine saved a human life, maybe more than one life, acting on its own artificial intelligence. Something ground-breaking was occurring at their event. What astonished Herbert even more was that he recognized Charles who was leading the boy and the android back to the conference center.

  Herbert looked at his watch and spoke to the judges. “Fifteen minutes to one o’clock. Let’s finish the remaining sessions. I’ll talk to the show director about what we just saw. The media will be looking for that android and its creator. We may have an even bigger story on our hands than what just transpired in the lake. We’ll know for sure when it’s time to present the awards.”

  Chapter 19

  G changed into dry clothes after Timothy returned and walked to the meeting room to complete the question and answer sessions. He never gave the water incident a second thought. He did what he knew to be the right thing to do. Now it was time to finish the contest.

  None of the final four sessions with the judges appeared to be any more difficult to G than the morning sessions. Some of the remaining judges asked deeper questions about human values and actions. He answered as best as he could; providing answers he reasoned a normal human would give. When the last session was over and he had completed all visual and audio tests on the computer screen, he left the meeting room. Julian, Charles and Timothy were there to greet him.

  “Are you finished, G?” Julian asked first.

  “I have completed all questions and screen tests. I would like to see the rest of Navy Pier now.”

  “I don’t know if that is a good idea, G,” Charles said. Timothy and I have been watching the video screens and what you did earlier is all over the news. You may be mobbed by reporters.”

  “I agree with Charles,” Julian added. “We should stay in the conference center and wait for the dinner event when they will announce the awards.”

  “I am willing to talk to the reporters. I will say what happened. I may not get another chance to visit this city before I leave for NASA training.”

  “Can we see the pool?” Timothy asked. He wanted to visit more of the attractions on the pier before they had to go home for the evening. Even he had not been allowed to enjoy the afternoon outside on the pier waiting for G.

  Charles reconsidered and turned to Julian. “We can try walking inside to the end of the pier with G if you want to go. Or you can stay here until the awards dinner starts in an hour. It’s your call.”

  Julian looked at G, but could not read anything from his expression, of course. He turned his gaze on Charles and Timothy. “I can’t shelter G any longer. He will have to face the media sooner or later. What he did today is not going to be ignored by the press. I will go with you in case I need to help explain things for G.”

  With that said all three of them headed to the down escalator to find the central hallway that would lead them to the Grand Ballroom located at the end of the pier. As they descended the escalator they noticed a group of media representatives waiting at the bottom. The media started waving to them and taking pictures. In front of the group stood Sara Jennings and her cameraman who took the pictures that were being shown all over the Internet and on the media channels, both local and national. The reporters started shouting questions at them as soon as they got off the escalator.

  Sara stood in front and stuck out a recording device towards Charles. “Is this the android that saved those people in the water?

  Julian stepped forward to answer the question. “Yes, this is G. I call him G because he is a self-aware android and possesses the general intelligence factor; what we call ‘g’ in scientific terms.”

  “What do you mean by self-aware? Are you saying he can think like a human?” Sara asked sounding skeptical.

  “Yes, that is what I mean. G is fully capable of independent thought.”

  Another reporter in back of Sara yelled out, “Some scientists say that’s not possible. Can you prove it?”

  Julian spoke louder for all to hear, “That is why we ar
e here at the Loebner Prize Contest—to show to everyone that it is entirely possible and G can prove it.”

  “You guys are nuts,” someone yelled in the back.

  Sara shot a disapproving look at the back of the reporters and spoke up. “I apologize for that outburst. We just want the whole story. How did your android save those people in the water?”

  G stepped forward and stood beside Julian. He looked at everyone in the crowd before he spoke in a clear, calm tone of voice. “I did what any human would do, if they could, to save another life. The water was very cold. There was no time to wait for help. I can see clearly under water and I am not affected by the cold. It would have been wrong of me not to help those people.”

  The reporters in the crowd could not believe what they just heard—that a machine could answer a question like that. Some of them looked at their recording devices to verify it was on. They were too stunned to say anything for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Sara spoke up. “Where are you from, G?”

  “I live in Michigan with my creator, Julian Thornway. He developed my core memory processor that allows me to think like a human. I have much to learn. I have studied human civilizations and history. I know how difficult and short life may be. I wish to know everything I can about what it is like to be human. I hope you will take the time to learn about me.”

  Julian interrupted G before he could say anything more. “I have prepared a statement concerning G. I will release it after the awards ceremony this evening. We want to see how G did in the Loebner Prize Contest. This is an important step in artificial machine intelligence. You probably already know what this contest is all about. In the meantime, we would appreciate it if you let us show G around Navy Pier. We can meet again after the award ceremony, if that is all right with you”

  That seemed acceptable to the media representatives. They would use the time to file their stories, investigate the contest and take more pictures of G while he explored the pier. It seemed a practical solution. They let Julian and G pass through them to the doors leading outside. Charles and Timothy followed. There was no reason to stay inside any longer.

  Charles led the way to the end of the pier. On the right were the mooring stations for all the large boats, including some of the Tall Sailing Ships visiting Chicago. Out in the lake beyond the stone breakers, boats of all types were crisscrossing the lake. On the left was the Beer Garden and the Grand Ballroom with its 80-foot domed roof, which was built in 1916 and still going strong.

  They walked until they reached the end of the pier. They took in the magnificent view, both of the lake and the Chicago skyline. Navy Pier had been transformed over the last ten years. There was a large pool area for wading and swimming that was protected from the lake. The deck area was made of manmade materials that looked like real wood. At one end of the pool was a large stone wall with running water splashing into the pool. It was a favorite spot for young kids to play. Since the weather was still warm, there were a lot of people playing in the pool. Some of them stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to G. Most have never seen an android walking on the pier before.

  “Pretty neat, huh?” Timothy said out loud to G.

  “Yes, it is, Timothy,” G replied. “It is more impressive standing here than looking at pictures.”

  “Most humans would agree with you, G,” Charles added. Most things are more appreciated in person.”

  “I am glad I came to Chicago,” G said. He was silent for a moment. “I do not know how many cities I will see before I leave Earth. This will be good to remember.”

  Julian tapped his cane. “Come, G. We must return to the convention area. They will be announcing the awards before serving dinner.” He slowing led the way back to Festival Hall. No one was in much of a hurry, which made following Julian that much easier.

  Off in the distant, the reporters continued to snap their pictures and record their video for later use. This story was just beginning as far as Sara Jennings was concerned.

  Chapter 20

  The awards dinner was just starting in the large conference room in Festival Hall. People were filing in to find their places. Each table had name tags for the guests. Julian had purchased tickets for all of them to sit together.

  There were 75 tables for the 600 or so people who had attended the Loebner Prize Contest. There were three tables near the stage area for the eight judges, the show sponsors, special guests and Loebner officials. The room was filling up fast. The awards ceremony was set to begin in five minutes.

  Julian found their table toward the rear of the dining room. As they gathered around the table, four other guests joined and introduced themselves. The guests were curious about seeing an android at their table. Julian made introductions for G and they all sat down. The noise level was high from all the discussions going on. There seemed to be some sort of rumor making its way around the room. Julian overheard comments about an important announcement that would be made. Opinions on what it could be varied widely. Julian did not have any comments on the rumors when asked by one of the guests at their table. Finally the lights dimmed, which signaled that the awards ceremony was about to begin.

  George Lancaster, the President of the Loebner organization that hosted this event stepped up onto the stage and walked purposely to the podium. He was a tall, thin man with short, graying hair at his temples. He turned on the microphone and set his notes in front of him. He glanced around and tested to make sure the microphone was on. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to this year’s Loebner Prize Contest. Thank you for coming to the awards dinner tonight and for participating in the many conference sessions that were held this week in this wonderful facility. Isn’t Navy Pier great? I especially what to thank the many fine sponsors listed in our program guide and the eight prestigious judges on the panel this year who judged the eight machine entities and their human confederates.” George paused while everyone clapped their hands in appreciation.

  “As you well know, The Loebner Prize is given each year to the machine entity that simulates the best conversational computer program. The test is designed to imitate the Turing Test as envisioned by Alan M. Turing, the British mathematician who is considered to be one of the early founders of computer science. Turing asked the question “Can a Machine Think?” He thought the answer would eventually be “Yes”, but how could we prove it. Turing felt that if we could not distinguish between the responses from a machine or a human, than the machine possessed human intelligence abilities and could think. He invented a game called the ‘Imitation Game’ or the Turing Test, which has been modified over the years to make it more difficult for AI machines to fool the judges. Today, we use text, visual and audio feedback during the contest to verify human intelligence capabilities. We are quite good at this and not easily fooled, as you know.” He had to stop for the laughter and applause to die down.

  “Every year we award the Bronze Medal Prize to the best chatterbox or virtual assistant program that garnered the most points from the judges for conversational language. This year the prize of $50,000 goes to Easy I Computer, Inc., for their health care virtual assistant that can answer almost any medical question. Congratulations to the team sitting at table 12. Let’s give them a big hand. Please come up to accept your prize.”

  One of the young company executives from table 12 walked up to the podium, accepted the check from George and thanked the prize committee. He waved the check high above his head and walked back to his table as the applause died down. George stepped back up to the microphone to announce the second prize.

  The President continued. “It was close his year, but the Silver Medal Prize of $100,000 goes to SuperMax Enterprises for their super computer AI system with its ability to search a client’s business data base using voice commands to provide business solutions that save millions of dollars each year. Let’s give the team at Table 71 a big round of applause. Please come up to accept your prize.” A senior VP of the company walked up, accepted the check,
thanked everyone and returned to his seat. Most people in the room felt this was the end of the prizes. However, they were mistaken.

  George stepped back up to the microphone and continued. “As you know, we have never awarded the Gold Medal Prize—this year one million dollars—to any machine entity since the start of this competition in 1991. This year we have a big surprise. There is a winner out there among you!” A gasp was heard from many of the guests. They began looking around at all the tables. This was totally unexpected, and many thought impossible.

  “This is as big of a surprise to us as it is to you. As I said earlier, the judges don’t fool easily. I won’t keep you in suspense for long. Let me introduce the lead judge of our competition, Herbert Brodsky, Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University, right here in Chicago, who will announce this year’s amazing prize winner. Herbert, please come up.”

  Herbert got up from his table, walked to the stage and took over the podium as George stepped back. He repositioned the microphone and paused to collect his thoughts. “Thank you, George. This year there were eight machine entities and eight human confederates competing in the Turing Test. All of us judges knew we would be questioning one machine and one human paired together for each session. Each entity is asked pointed questions for twenty-five minutes. Each judge then decides which entity is a machine and which entity is a human confederate. Most of us have judged several of these contests over the years. Believe me; we were not expecting to be fooled eight times!” The audience was dead silent. They knew from past conferences that this was not a likely scenario. In matter of fact, most members in the room did not think it would be possible for any machine with AI to pass the Turing Test in their lifetimes. Something world-shattering was about to be announced.