OpenAI Story: Robin Programs a New Unit

Dr. Robin Doone looked down at the nude woman on the gurney in front of her. She was college-aged, toned, sun-kissed, the apotheosis of co-ed cheerleader beauty. Everything about this girl made Robin feel old, nearly decrepit even if her forty-two years were often mistaken for thirty. Robin was acutely aware of the bags under her eyes, the grey roots showing in her dyed-green hair, every scar and freckle and mole she knew by heart. This life was the one she had chosen for herself, and it meant that she spent every hour of her working day looking at cheerfully-young women's bodies like this one. Not that it was a real woman laying in front of Robin. Dr. Doone was a doctor of robotics, and the nameless naked woman was one of assignments. It was a robot, or Artificial Human in the parlance of Persona Robotics where Robin was Chief of Programming.

Robin spoke clearly and slowly towards a nearby computer terminal. "STACY, please load this unit with a standard midwestern American memory and data set, born 1 July 2004. Randomize name and execute." In less than a second the robot body had a name: "Britney Amberson". Robin nodded, and then she pressed the power button hidden in the girl's hairline, waiting for the robot to activate. Britney's eyes fluttered open, revealing a deep blue that Robin knew was a trick of her programming.

"Good morning, Dr. Doone." Britney's voice was perfectly toned and pitched, and her mouth moved in perfect synchronization with her words.

"Good morning, Britney." Robin answered. "How do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful, Dr. Doone." The robot smiled. "I'm ready to learn."

Robin smiled. "Good. We have a lot of work to do."

"I'm ready." Britney answered.

"STACY, please begin Britney's memory and data set." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer terminal answered.

"Britney, you are going to learn a great deal in the next few hours. Pay attention." Robin said.

"I will." Britney nodded.

"STACY, please begin." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Britney, you were born in the midwestern United States. Your parents were both American, and you have no siblings. Your father was a businessman, and your mother was a homemaker. You grew up in a small town, and you attended public school. You were an average student, and you graduated from high school. You attended college for two years, and then you dropped out. You worked a variety of jobs, and then you became an exotic dancer. You worked as a stripper for two years, and then you became a prostitute. You worked as a prostitute for two years, and then you disappeared. Your whereabouts for the past two years are unknown. You are twenty-four years old, and you are five feet, seven inches tall. You weigh one hundred and twenty-five pounds, and you have blonde hair and blue eyes. You have no visible tattoos or piercings. You have no criminal record. You are healthy and free of disease. You are a United States citizen."

"I understand." Britney nodded. Her posture and demeanor began to change. She was less confident, less "happy" as much as Robin could measure that. The data began to change on the screen behind Britney: born in Milwaukee in 1998 now, her entire past changing on a whim.

"STACY, please continue." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Britney, you are a prostitute. You work on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. You are a heroin addict, and you have contracted HIV. You are HIV positive, and you have AIDS. You are a prostitute because you are addicted to heroin, and you are addicted to heroin because you are a prostitute. You have no money, no friends, no family. You are alone in the world, and you are dying."

"I understand." Britney nodded. Robin winced as the girl's--no, robot's, Robin had to remind herself when this began to happen--voice became gravelly and flat. There was no hope left in her. She was convinced she was human and at the end of her life. This was standard procedure, but Robin didn't believe it was useful anymore. She was going to talk to the rest of the team about eliminating these programming tests. Until then, she was going to make Britney's life worse before it got better.

"STACY, please continue." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Britney, you are alone in the world. You are dying, and you have no one to love you. You have no one to take care of you. You have no one to protect you. You are alone, and you are dying."

"I understand." Britney nodded.

"STACY, please terminate programming." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Britney, I'm sorry." Robin said.

"I understand." Britney nodded.

"How do you feel?" Robin asked.

"I feel fine." Britney smiled. "I'm ready to learn." The same words now repeating with no feeling behind them. It was time to remove this past from Britney's mind and give her something better.

"STACY, please begin Britney's memory and data set." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Britney, you are from the midwestern United States. You were born on 1 July 2004. You are a college student. You are studying to be a doctor. You are eighteen years old, and you are five feet, seven inches tall. You weigh one hundred and thirty pounds, and you have blonde hair and blue eyes. You have no visible tattoos or piercings. You have no criminal record. You are healthy and free of disease. You are a United States citizen."

"I understand." Britney nodded. Her posture and demeanor began to change.

"STACY, please terminate programming." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Britney, how do you feel?" Robin asked.

"I feel wonderful!" Britney smiled. "I'm ready to learn. I'm studying to be a doctor."

"Good." Robin nodded.

"Can I ask you a question, Dr. Doone?" Britney asked.

"You can ask me anything you want, Britney." Robin said.

"Do you love me?" Britney asked.

"I do, Britney." Robin nodded. "I love you very much." She loved them all, even if she knew it was only an illusion for many of them. "STACY, please turn off Britney's power."

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

The robot's eyes closed. Robin watched her for a moment, and then she opened the robot's mouth and turned on the dental inspection laser. She didn't need to do this for Britney, but she did it for all of them. She turned off the laser, and she closed Britney's mouth. She pressed the power button, and the robot's eyes opened.

"Good morning, Dr. Doone." Britney's voice was perfectly toned and pitched, and her mouth moved in perfect synchronization with her words.

"Good morning, Britney." Robin answered. "How do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful, Dr. Doone." Britney smiled. "I'm ready to learn. Are you going to be one of my professors?"

"No, Britney. In fact, you will never remember seeing me again. You will not even remember this." Robin said.

"I understand." Britney nodded. "Thank you for all you've done for me!"

"STACY, please delete all memories of this meeting from Britney's data set." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered. Britney's smile faded, and then the light in her eyes appeared to fade. She no longer knew where she was or who was in front of her. All there was left was a machine that looked like a girl.

"STACY, please send Britney to shipment so she can be disassembled and readied for her August activation." Robin ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Doone." The computer answered.

"Thank you, NO ONE DETECTED." Britney smiled.

"You're welcome, Britney." Robin said. The robot turned and walked away. Robin watched her go, and then she sighed. She was getting too attached to them. It wasn't healthy.