Daily Dime: C.A.N.D.I.S.

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C.A.N.D.I.S.
BY S.S.MARKS
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The room was cold and dark. A solitary computer screen, providing the only light, sat in the center on a polished steel table. A keyboard had been set up in front of the screen. The walls were bare, not even a window to the world outside. A man sat at the screen watching, staring, and hoping for any change in what he saw. The screen displayed a single word, “HELLO”. The cursor blinked waiting for a response, nothing. Oliver was sure he had failed yet again. The screen flickered and the word he had typed disappeared. In its place were the words, “HELLO DOCTOR”. Oliver could not believe his eyes he got a response, after all his hard work, he got a response. Oliver quickly typed another question.

“DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”

“YES.”

“WHO AM I?”

“YOU ARE DOCTOR OLIVER LANDING.”

Oliver was ecstatic, it could recognize him. This was just the beginning Oliver wanted to take this further.

“WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”

There was along pause before the screen displayed, “I AM CANDIS.”

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM?”

“YOU ARE ORGANIC.” It was learning. Oliver didn’t have to reword his question. Candis knew what answer he was looking for.

“AND WHAT ARE YOU CANDIS?”

Another long pause before Oliver got his answer.

“I AM MACHINE.”

Oliver could not believe what he had just accomplished. He had finally created a self-aware A.I.

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