I'm looking for the answer to a certain "sci-fi history" question, and I'm hoping this might be a nerdy enough forum to help me. There's a certain concept related to sci-fi artificial intelligence, the "god AI" where some superpowerful AI or AIs becomea a surrogate (semi-)invisible God for the human race. The first place I know of this coming up is in I, Robot (the book), but I'd like to know if it appeared even further back (and I'd also be interested to hear of it showing up in films or more recent books).

 

The god-AI concept has also shown up in at least one (great) videogame that I know of, but it's kind of a spoiler so I won't bring it up. Although the title of the game I'm thinking of kinda gives it away (nudge nudge).

"Serial Experiments: Lain" (anime) is probably one of the things you are after.

Asimov wrote a short story called "How to Reverse Entropy" about a supercomputer that is built by humankind (all of his work eventually was about a human-only universe, as a defence against one of his over-zealous nationalistic editors) and placed in hyperspace.

 

The human civilization rises and falls, and the computer is silent. (A bit like Deep Thought, but not.)

 

Eons pass. The sun has long since gone Red Giant and cooled to a white dwarf. The Andromeda galaxy has careened through our Milky Way galaxy and kept on its merry way, with only a few solar system casualties.

 

More eons pass, and eventually all the energy in the universe has degraded to a cold soup-like state, mere picodegrees above absolute zero.

 

Eons more pass.

 

Finally, from its relative safety in hyperspace, the super computer begins to stir.

 

It beings: "Let there be light ..."

 

 

Asimov wrote that short story for Amazing Pulp SF in the 50s, I think. Certainly nearly 50 years ago.

Watch matrix cuz it is liek teh depp!!11

 

Err... I'll just chime in here and recommend Serial Experiment Lain, if you're into anime.

Bubblegum Crisis

Bubblegum Crisis

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Was that the Asimov (?) short story about the Anti-Christ appearing as a travelling bubblegum salesman, and detected by the Earth-government-replacement super computer?

 

(Stop me if you know what I'm talking about...)

No it's an anime about the creation of artificial life.

There is a fairly recent series (in the last several years) called "The Golden Age" by John C. Wright, comprised of three books: The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant, and The Golden Transcendance. It is quite interesting, on both a theoretical and entertainment level, and was reviewed quite highly.

 

In this possible future, humans are immortal, existing as semi-digital beings in a both electronic and physical world. Technology has provided certain opportunities we lack today, such as choosing a neural configuration. By this I mean, humans can literally change the way their brain functions. While most are what is called "base neuroform," basically as we are today, though smarter through technological enhancement, many other groups exist. Some join mass-minds, amalgamations of any number of human psyches. Others are Warlocks, those who have connections between the hemispheres of their brain, allowing them superior intuitive capabilities. Others choose the path of the Cerebellines, transferring their minds into a lifeweb of many plants and animals.

 

This society is founded on the use of Sophotechs (meaning Wise Machines), comprehensive AIs so powerful as to render humanity practically obsolete.

 

It covers much more than for what you're looking, but it is fairly comprehensive on the subject of human-AI relations.

In Iain M. Banks' Culture novels their society is run by AIs. Very entertaining, and often darker than you might think. Use of Weapons, in particular creeped me out, while being very funny.

Asimov wrote a short story called "How to Reverse Entropy" about a supercomputer that is built by humankind (all of his work eventually was about a human-only universe, as a defence against one of his over-zealous nationalistic editors) and placed in hyperspace.

 

The human civilization rises and falls, and the computer is silent. (A bit like Deep Thought, but not.)

 

Eons pass. The sun has long since gone Red Giant and cooled to a white dwarf. The Andromeda galaxy has careened through our Milky Way galaxy and kept on its merry way, with only a few solar system casualties.

 

More eons pass, and eventually all the energy in the universe has degraded to a cold soup-like state, mere picodegrees above absolute zero.

 

Eons more pass.

 

Finally, from its relative safety in hyperspace, the super computer begins to stir.

 

It beings: "Let there be light ..."

Yeah, I read that one. Thought it was pretty ingenious, but I was like 15 at the time. "

 

With relation to that:

 

Omega Point theory, Sci-fi or actual science?

Thanks, numbers.

I wasn't aware of the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, E. LeRoy, et alia and the noosphere (by name, I obviously have come across the idea many times in SF).

Yeah, I read that one. Thought it was pretty ingenious, but I was like 15 at the time.  "

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Yes, it did suffer from being a little melodramatic ...