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A review by bbrassfield
Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers
3.0
Revisiting Galatea 2.2 in the era of Alexa, Cortana and Siri is an interesting experience. I first read this Richard Powers novel when it was new in 2004 and the concept of teaching an AI something about the human experience and how the accumulation of knowledge fits into the notions of experience and identity was fairly new unless one counts the interactions with the Hal 9000 in Arthur C. Clarke's classic novel.
Now many years later, it is all too imaginable that the AI's that are prevalent in our homes and on our devices could develop independent identity's even if those identity's have root in algorithms coded by human engineers. The real question and the reason for revisiting such a forward thinking novel is the very question of what constitutes identity in the first place. As the quickening pace of technology has shown us, the very nature of what is thought of identity and sentience is evolving. To what end? That answer is elusive, but certain to change.
Now many years later, it is all too imaginable that the AI's that are prevalent in our homes and on our devices could develop independent identity's even if those identity's have root in algorithms coded by human engineers. The real question and the reason for revisiting such a forward thinking novel is the very question of what constitutes identity in the first place. As the quickening pace of technology has shown us, the very nature of what is thought of identity and sentience is evolving. To what end? That answer is elusive, but certain to change.