I’m just going to post a link to the first comic that starts the ball rolling:
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3538
A little background:
Questionable Content is a comic that has sapiant AI that are simi-common and perform all manner of tasks. One of these AI was acting as a sort of good will ambassador/therapy aid for a girl named Hannalore who is the daughter a man that is so wealthy he owns a space station and is considered the creator of ‘modern’ AI. However Hannalore lives on her own in attempt to try overcoming her anxieties and find grounding insomuch as living in the Hamptons is ‘grounded,’ living essentially by her own means. However she is still wealthy and has had that fallback if worst ever came to worst.
The arch is all about Winslow upgrading from an ipod-classic-like body where he coudln’t even stand unaided much less move, to having a fairly nice costly but not ungodly expensive humanoid frame.
May is an AI that was put in ‘robot jail’ for comitting banking fraud by cumulatively stilling 127 million dollars for the purposes of buying a black market jet as a chassis to reside in. As an x con the body she is housed in is low quality to begin with, has severe issues that she’s needed to more or less make do as best as she can and work a job she hates to keep it from literally falling apart. For her it is fortunate that a friend of a friend does repairwork and is willing to do mantinance for fairly cheap slightly above cost since the support system for ex cons sadly is not anywhere what one would hope for in a post-singularity society.
There has been debate and arguments in the questionable content subreddit over who was right, whether actions and attitudes are justified, and if the comic’s creator is making the issue black/white instead of trying to explore things.
I would like discussion here. However i will note that I like that Winslow’s takeaway, after receiving help from a friend to go from moping at being hit with the hard realities some live in, to try doing what good he can with that new information. I view this as a positive outcome.
On the balance May appears to continue going about acting as if because she is in a bad situation (Let’s divorce whether or not it is her own fault for a moment as that is a whole 'nother kettle of fish) she gets to shout at everyone and everything that has it less crummy than she does, then a friend of hers rolls over and basically allows this attitude to continue unchallenged. Momentary aggravation is understandable. For me lacking the ability to drive and thus with limited income opportunities, someone showing off a brand new fresh off the lot car would have me annoyed, especially if ‘oh i decided this morning I wanted this so bought it.’ However continuing to let that anger fester is… not helpful.
I realize this is a bit of a hot button issue so I’m just going to bow out, as I do have anger issues andwell… eh. It just seems like a topic raised by this comic that seems fairly relevant to this place’s genral discussion habits.
