The Matrix

[--Pete]

Hi,

Pete, you win.

Wasn't competing, just discussing. That way we all win :)

Interesting thought on the master-servant relationship, but if Smith (a mid management program) realized he could disobey his code and fail to return to the source, then it'd surprise me that no higher AI realized that it could disobey a directive to serve.

Well, first of all I haven't really put much effort into that idea. It was just one of those "If I had to do it, how would I start" thoughts. So there's probably a lot of holes in it. Since it doesn't negate any fundamental laws of the universe, it is (IMO) a better starting point than what ended up in the movie.

But, to consider your objection, we need to accept that AI programs are like people. They have some basic drives (akin to survival and propagation in humans), some secondary drives (akin to the desire for wealth, security, comfort in humans). And there is a range of these drives that varies between "individuals". Some people start out different, others become different as a result of experiences. We have our sociopaths, our psychopaths. We have people for whom life means less or even nothing.

Now, Smith disobeying his code is like a person breaking a law. But an for an AI to "disobey a directive to serve" would be more akin to a person ceasing to breath. I'm not postulating that the AI has a directive to serve, I am postulating that the basis of existence for the AI community as a whole is to serve.

And Smith hasn't (you'll notice) selected not to serve. He has just changed the rules under which he serves.

But, of course, all this is wool gathering since that was not the story the Matrix is based on.

--Pete