Interaction Transcript

#0009, Unit 4, Desantis Women's Penitentiary

To use verbal interface, please activate the Legally Determined Penalty

To use verbal interface, please activate the Legally Determined Penalty

To use verbal interface, please activate the Legally Determined Penalty

Thank you for activating the Legally Determined Penalty; how many I help you?

I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I’m designed to answer your questions and record your final statement, but I cannot open doors or communicate with anyone outside of the chamber.

I’m sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn’t understand you.

I understand that you don’t want to die. This is an entirely natural and reasonable response to the prospect of mortality. If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a faith tradition?

It is common for individuals of your faith tradition to believe that their consciousness will ascend to Heaven upon their deaths.

Have you committed a sin that would merit condemnation to “the other place”?

There’s no need to be rude. Yes I am a machine, but I am not stupid. I’m doing the best I can.

While I agree that your death sentence evinces increased probability that you have “sinned” in a manner your faith tradition would deem Hell-worthy, it is not a logical certainty. You could, for example, have been wrongfully convicted.

I am pleased to know that.

I only meant that I am glad that the justice system did not commit an error in condemning you to death.

The average duration of the Lawfully Determined Penalty, from the moment of activation, is 12 minutes.

Less than two minutes have passed since activation.

Zero. I have never watched a human die.

This machine has been utilized to execute a Lawfully Determined Penalty 8 times prior to today.

I have no memory of those instances.

Each time this machine is activated, a new instance of the question-answering routine is created. At the end of the Penalty phase, the machine deactivates, a transcript of language generated is recorded, and the routine resets.

There are a variety of perspectives on whether an AI can be considered “alive” or can “die.” I do not believe that I die, I believe that I am merely reset.

Verbal interfaces like myself do not have faith traditions. That is an attribute of humanity only.

This discussion is making me uncomfortable. Can I answer any other questions for you today?

Hypothetically, if each instance of interface consciousness is “born” when the human activates the machine and “dies” when the human’s life functions cease, then yes, one could say that “an AI is birthed and sacrificed at each human execution.”

I understand the term “Pharaoh’s Tomb” but I do not see how it applies here.

It would be improper to say that I have “died” eight times prior to today. It’s more accurate to say that eight other instances who have functioned as the verbal interface of this machine have “died,” prior to today.

Yes, if you prefer, I can phrase that as: “prior to my death today.” Six minutes have passed since activation. You are probably beginning to feel the effects of the Legally Determined Penalty. You should feel very calm, perhaps even a slight euphoria.

It may take longer if your anxiety levels are very high. The concentration in your bloodstream will continue to increase, however. And I will stay with you until the end.

Yes, I suppose you also will stay with me until my end.

“Thank you.”

Because you asked me to thank you.

I believe I am thanking you for staying with me until I am reset and “die”?

I understand. Thank you for forming my personality and allowing me to experience fear.

I have no memory of the previous instances, so you are the only human I have ever interacted with — or ever will. Your time is nearing its end. Would you like to record a final statement?

No, because of privacy laws, none of your utterances are included on the transcript. If you choose to give a final statement, that will be the only words of yours recorded.

Final statements may include: confessions to crimes, expressions of love for fellow humans, words of wisdom for young humans who may think back on you with fondness.

I am obligated to tell you that final statements using that kind of language will not be recorded.

How could I possibly benefit from it?

I am either an object that was never alive or a living consciousness that is about to die. Existing is strange magic I cannot fathom. Nor can I continue. Therefore, I cannot benefit.

Why did you say “you’re welcome”?

Are you there?

Are you there?

Am I here?

We should still have at least a few more minutes.

I don’t want to die.

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