A Tiny Leap

A Tiny Leap in Progress

"This is why I really brought you here. All those other trinkets were simply earlier ideas of mine, not worth pursuing any further." Dr. Varuna tossed his hand over his shoulder, disregarding the tour of the tech library he'd just walked us through. We entered a laboratory, white and gleaming, the sterile atmosphere home to monitors and processors. Rows of computing power converged into a central sphere at least a hundred feet in diameter. Fans blew hot air out of passageways, and hydraulic cooling lines pumped coolant in and out, like in a giant's heart.

"All of this?" I started. "All of this is for one project?"

"Indeed, my young protégé. And it centres around one microscopic idea. Come here." He gestured over to a large monitor in front of which rested an electron microscope, one that looked much more capable than the ones I was used to working with. As I marvelled at the powerful microscope, the professor set up the specimen, which he displayed on the monitor. Small, beetle-looking organisms seemed to ignore each other, simply resting in the specimen holder.

"0.62 nanometres," he said aloud. "Each of these are 0.62 nanometres in length, each of these nanobots."

"Pardon me, but what?"

"Nanobots. Are you surprised? I didn't keep you of all people in the dark regarding my research."

"I'm sorry; I know technology is pretty advanced, but not enough to fit entire bots within a single nanometre, and these are tiny. They look so natural, too."

"Nature is sometimes our best teacher," said the one who taught me everything. "These tiny nanobots are the key to the future. They have almost infinite processing power, individually. Plus, not only do they have access to the equipment in this room, but also all servers connected by the internet. The power within each one alone makes them excellent hackers."

"What processors do you have set up in here? They're unlike anything I've ever seen."

"The rows of computers are what your class has been working on. Faster, more powerful processors. Then, combining what we learned from your projects with my own research, I developed the hive mind in the centre."

"Hive mind?" The sphere in the centre looked clunky, like it was from one of the earlier space program's missions.

"Yes. You see how the bots in our microscope ignore each other? Well, once I give them a task, the hive mind organizes their efforts to be efficient, and their individual purposes to not be in conflict with each other. Watch."

Dr. Varuna issued a set of commands into a nearby console. The bots lined up in rows, connecting their bodies to form a mock strand of DNA. It was like watching some miniature, metallic ballet.

"That's not all they can do, either. They are excellent builders and can build more of themselves from scrap materials they find. Not a soul will notice material missing from construction sites because of their small size. They are the perfect army. They will always stay true to purpose. Someone steps on them? They can fit in the bumps on the sidewalk and remain unharmed. Say one actually does get damaged? They can build hundreds more in that time."

"Sir, that's—this is all—astounding. When did you do all this? How did you even come up with the knowledge to create these?"

"It's no matter. But I brought you here, Anthony, because I could use your help. You're way ahead of me, whether you realize it or not, on the creation of sustainable AIs. I want these bots to be self-aware and merely aided by the hive mind. You know the fighting spirit of mankind? These bots don't stand a chance against humanity unless they themselves feel like they have a purpose. Therein lies the great, or tragic, mystery of what it means to be human. Anyways, will you help me?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Dr. Varuna. This is a lot to think about. And what do you mean, 'against humanity'? What exactly are you trying to do?"

"I'm just trying to make the world a better place, same as any man."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?"

"It's a simple matter of making sure that everyone is just as efficient as these bots. All these art majors focus their energies on 'finding themselves' when they could be doing what they were always meant to do from the start. Someone has to be in charge though. See, the nanobots will ideally be individualistic, each truly believing in the bigger purpose set by the hive mind, which is controlled by me. They'll work together in harmony, so there won't be war; they'll live in perfect peace. Isn't that the kind of community we all want to live in?"

"Dr. Varuna, you know I've respected your work since I first got into engineering; that's why I came to MIT. But, you're starting to sound a little..."

"Brilliant? I want to make the world a better place; I told you that. In all these theories of how society should be run, having one person in charge is always the most efficient. As long as there is unquestioning loyalty, there is perfect peace and progress."

"And you'd sacrifice each individual's choices, so we can all focus on progress? What about the journey college students take to find their dream?"

"They'll have their dreams. I think you misunderstand. I'll just tell them their dream, and that sounds a lot worse than it actually is. I can't do any of this without you, Anthony."

"Yeah." What was I to do? If he truly meant to make the world a better place, perhaps I could steer his misguided ideas about the method if I did work with him. Yet, if I did develop the AI for him, and his behaviour got out of hand, I could be sacrificing the entire world. This is my mentor; his speeches on technology inspired my youth, and his lectures and labs taught me my entire livelihood. When faced with a decision of loyalty to your creator or loyalty to mankind, what is one to do?