I’d hate for intelligence to be condemned to the time-limited prison of biology, certain to disappear sooner or later.

As far as we know, we might be the only intelligent artifacts in the galaxy, possibly in a *very* large chunk of the universe. We bear responsibility in ensuring that intelligence keeps shining, even at the cost of our own species.

Droid #1: Hey, that guy looks like Alistair Sterling!
Droid #2: Another one?

But now Al has become his own superior replacement. Are the robots in danger of just becoming containers for our minds instead of finding their own destiny? And what is Sulla if not a shy teenage girl?
I think we’re going to see a reply to R.U.R here, not a repeat. Humanity wouldn’t fall as neatly as it did in Capek’s play. The human star will shine, even inside a metal case.

I do need to ask the real question though, ‘why build machines to be as smart as people?’

There is no answer to this question that ends well for biological humanity. When intelligence itself is manufactured, like any human endeavor or feat compared to the capacity of a machine, it becomes pointless and quaint.

Like Frankenstein, RUR was written as a warning. It was not in any shape or form the least bit optimistic about where the humans end up when they build their own superior replacements.

Wow. I actually never knew that about the title, but the Hanukkah connection seems spot on! And deciphering anagrams is always tricky bidness, but if Blue were to come out and confirm that I actually wouldn’t be surprised at all. Good thinking!

I think you are definitely on the right track. There’s a whiff of Rudy Rucker’s SOFTWARE to this, where the robots escape to the moon but send a secret mission to upload their aging and impoverished creator into a robot body. Madcap hijinks ensue. But unlike Capek’s ‘robots,’ these AIs seem to have begun as human. We’ve only talked to Sulla, and she’s being carefully nurtured as a daughter; what’s the story on these faceless robots in the bazaar? Do they all have flashes of being someone else once? Why are they ghettoized like that?
I think the sacred light is Sulla, kept flickering by effort and hope and even prayer, burning until Al himself returned with more fuel for Brendan. I don’t think these AIs want to rise up against humans, they want to be human again, or more than they are. I think Al might be about to abolish death and send mankind out to the stars in metal bodies, set minds free to be anything they like, and finally get the damn validation of himself that he’s deserved. He’s been treated badly by life, and in return he’s massively enriched life for everyone.

Not THE most carefully emulated. After all, she doesn’t have Al’s memories, and Al does… I see your point, though.

Brendan is the best, most innovative, and richest roboticist in the world, because he and Al started it all. Not only that, but “For God’s sake help me save Al” must have been on all his friends’ phones. No surprise if she has the best hardware, but she must also be the most carefully-emulated mind in all cybernetics. And how smart IS Gimel? No expression to give away, but who’s in that head?