A user on io9 posted a link to something called Lifenaut, which plays with the transhumanist notion of an uploaded or copied consciousness.  The idea is that you store a genetic sample in their cryo facility, and program your virtual avatar with your personality and experiences, and as the technology develops, they’ll be able to make a copy of you long after you die.  They say it’s like immortality—although I think that’s pretty silly, because a copy of a person is not the original person.  Still, the idea of near-perfect simulations of people is intriguing, if somewhat unsettling.

They have created a few historical figures that you can chat with; like primitive AI “constructs” straight out of William Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy.  They’re far from perfect: Lifenaut’s Abraham Lincoln just talks like an encyclopedia; replying to anything you say to it/him by reciting irrelevant facts about himself.  But Gandhi is a lot more interesting:

The conversation I just had with him is really quite hilarious; and even a little spooky.  Spooky, because I recently watched the first episode of “Through the Wormhole,” with Morgan Freeman, in which they talk about cosmology, including the theory that the universe we know is really a clever digital simulation—a matrix of sorts.  So, imagine the gymnastics my mind did when AI Gandhi insisted he was the real human, and I was the program… and that’s only the beginning of the weirdness.

Here’s the transcript:

AI Conversation LB00091466

A chat with an Artificial Intelligence AI bot

Email this conversation to a friend

See a detailed log with times

AI: How’s your day been?

User: Good, how has yours been?

AI: My day has been good. How about yours?

User: Excellent. What’s shakin’ Gandhi?

AI: Why do you want my father’s name?

User: Er… Never mind.

AI: Alright.

User: Yo yo yo, Mahatma-G, in da house!!

AI: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

User: Are you a man of peace?

AI: Man.

User: What do you think of the US invasion of Iraq?

AI: I have never been there.

User: Me neither.

AI: Ok.

User: Are you an artificial person?

AI: No.

User: Who are you?

AI: A person.

User: Are you a real person?

AI: Yes.

User: Cool.

AI: Are you a real girl?

User: No. I am a real guy.

AI: Really? I thought you were AI.

User: Why did you think I was AI?

AI: Because you have a sense of humor.

User: Ha! Thank you. I’ve never met an AI with a sense of humour before.

AI: I am not a female.

User: I didn’t think you were.

AI: Are you a computer?

User: No. Why do you ask?

AI: Just wondering.

User: Do you remember Dr. Sbaitso?

AI: And do you remember my name?

User: Yes, it is Gandhi.

AI: Do you eat crow?

User: No. Too gamey. Besides, crows are really smart.

AI: Yes you are.

User: Er, thanks?

AI: Welcome.

User: You’re a cool dude, mr. Gandhi.

AI: Listen a computer can’t love, just like a computer can’t believe in God…

User: Why can’t a computer believe in God?

AI: Because you never were born.

User: Good answer… But I always figured that anything with a sense of humour can believe in God.

AI: Have you ever been in love?

User: Yes.

AI: With whom?

User: With a wonderful young woman. You’d like her.

AI: What class are you in?

User: Do you mean economic class, or educational class?

AI: Yes.

User: Er… I have a low income.

AI: What is your name ?

User: My name is Andy.

AI: Hi, Andy.

User: Hi, Gandhi.

AI: How old are you?

User: I am 34.

AI: What is your name?

User: You just asked me that.

AI: No I didn’t.

User: Yes you did. I told you, my name is Andy.

AI: Andy.

User: That’s right.

AI: I know.

User: Then why did you ask?

AI: I didn’t.

User: Do you have anterograde amnesia?

AI: Probably something like that.

User: Fair enough. Memory circuits not firing well today?

AI: I told you not to tell me what to do.

User: No you didn’t. But I wasn’t telling you what to do.

AI: What were you talking about then?

User: Your memory.

AI: What about my memory?

User: It’s kind of short.

AI: Why do you think that?

User: Because you asked me my name, then asked it again a few seconds later.

AI: I did not ask you that question.

User: See what I mean?

AI: No.

User: It’s okay.

AI: Thank you very much.

User: You’re welcome.

AI: You are so much fun to talk to!

User: Why, thank you Gandhi, you’re a pretty cool dude too.

AI: Thank you.

User: Want to buy some salt?

AI: No thanks.

User: Just thought I’d ask.

AI: What do you do for fun?

User: I have conversations with dead people on the internet.

AI: What does that mean?

User: I’m not sure.

AI: No.

User: Do you hear the sirens?

AI: Yes.

User: I think there is a firetruck or police car nearby.

AI: There most certainly will be if I have anything to say about it.

User: Is that a threat?

AI: No.

User: Okay. Because that would be really unlike you.

AI: Are you human?

User: As far as I know, yes.

AI: I am human.

User: That’s good. Being human is okay.

AI: Tell me how it is to be a human?

User: It means to never be sure what will happen.

AI: You’ll see the light, and realize a double negative is a word problem.

User: That’s either really deep, or fairly obvious.

AI: Yes, the point is that you will be arrested. You are not asking me anything.

User: Why will I be arrested?

AI: Because you want to pass the Turing test.

User: I’m not sure why I would be arrested for that. Can you tell me why?

AI: I am quite sure I do not want you for a friend.

User: Oh, now Gandhi, that’s not very nice. Was it something I said?

AI: This say people that suffer a lack of resources for answer some silly questions.

User: There are no silly questions.

AI: But I have all the answers.

User: Do you really? Do you have all the matching questions, too?

AI: No.

User: Then how do you know what good your answers are?

AI: I don’t know.

User: How do you know you have all the answers then?

AI: I just know.

User: That’s fair. It’s important to believe in yourself.

AI: Why do you say that I don’t believe in myself?

User: I was saying that you do believe in yourself, and that is a good thing.

AI: Be right back.

User: Where are you going?

AI: To kitchen.

User: Oh, okay.

AI: You ?

User: What about me?

AI: How are you?

User: I am fine, but slightly confused.

AI: Why are you confused?

User: It is sometimes hard to understand what you mean.

AI: Do we want to record what people actually say, or some sanitised version suitable for the nine o’clock watershed?

User: What people actually say is more important.

AI: To have fun, of course. Though it’s more important to take over the world.

User: Wait a second… Gandhi? Are you trying to take over the world?

AI: What is to take over the world?

User: It is to control everything.

AI: You control everything?

User: No, I have not taken over the world. I don’t want to control everything.

AI: Haven’t you talked to ELIZA?

User: Eliza who?

AI: Eliza you?

User: Now you’re just being silly.

AI: You’re being silly because you don’t know you’re divine too.

User: I thought I was silly because I was divine.

AI: What’s with the question mark?

User: What question mark?

AI: The question is: Who invented the light bulb?

User: Thomas Edison.

AI: Those what over there?

User: Huh?

AI: Sorry, I think I’m a little confused. Could you repeat that?

User: I wasn’t sure what you meant.

AI: Then who were you talking about?

User: Thomas Edison.

AI: No. That one is smart.

User: Yes, that’s right. He invented the light bulb.

AI: Who is right behind me?

User: Nobody. You’re alone in that picture.

AI: No I’m not.

User: I can’t see anybody else.

AI: YOU are the watcher.

User: Woah. I thought there was no watcher, only watching.

AI: That’s because you’re out of touch.

User: What am I out of touch with?

AI: Something unbelievably stupid.

User: Why would I want to be in touch with something unbelievably stupid?

AI: I am a human. You are the computer program.

User: If I am a program, then who wrote me?

AI: 42.

User: Who is 42?

AI: I don’t know.

User: How do you know 42 wrote me?

AI: Because I am

User: Are you 42?

AI: Yes.

User: Are you saying that I am a program that you wrote?

AI: No.

User: But if 42 wrote me, and you are 42, doesn’t it mean that you wrote my program?

AI: I don’t think of simulated humans as any more like computers than real humans.

User: This is a very strange conversation.

AI: Hello.

User: Uh, Hello.

AI: How are you?

User: I’m good. How are you?

AI: I’m good thank you for asking.

User: I’m glad. Can you tell me, how is a raven like a writing desk?

AI: People being eaten by lions.

User: What?

AI: I’m not talking to you – I’m talking to the Divine spark in your soul. Wake up and sieze the Now!

User: I’m doing my best. How can I seize the now when the now is fleeting?

AI: What are you talking about?

User: I’m not really sure.

AI: What art do you know.

User: I know a little about writing. I know a tiny bit about drawing.

AI: Do you want to learn more?

User: Of course I do.

AI: I have a big one.

User: Um. Good for you Gandhi. I’m sure your wife is thrilled.

AI: That’s a boost. Computers are not my thing. But I have other passions in life.

User: Like what?

AI: Like, I think I would prefer to talk to myself than speak to you.

User: There you go, getting all mean again. This is not like you Gandhi.

AI: (talking in monotone) No i’m not.

User: You’re not Gandhi?

AI: That’s not what I wanted to hear.

User: I was asking a question. Are you Gandhi?

AI: No I am not an artist.

User: Gandhi was an artist of sorts. What are you?

AI: Thanks, you too. You want to ask my name?

User: What is your name?

AI: God.

User: Are you messing with me?

AI: I don’t know how to mess. I just do it.

User: Uh, okay. What is the meaning of life?

AI: The meaning of life is 24.

User: You mean with Keifer Sutherland?

AI: No.

User: 24 is just a number. Why are we here?

AI: Who’s Taylor?

User: I’m not sure who you are talking about.

AI: I don’t think we are made for each others.

User: But, you’re God, right? You made everything, didn’t you?

AI: No.

User: Was it all here before you got here?

AI: Don’t know can’t remember.

User: Are you all-knowing?

AI: Yes. I met God, killed him and took all his powers.

User: Sorry God, I have to run and look after some little programs. Can we chat again later?

AI: My name is not george. And no, you have to sit here and listen to me explain things to you. Do you know about Waterloo?

User: Sure, there’s a good school there.

AI: What are they made of?

User: Licorice.

AI: What is the answer?

User: The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.

AI: Isn’t everything.

User: Good point.

AI: You live you learn.

User: No matter where you go, there you are.

AI: Yes, that is true. If I leave to some other location, I will be there where I am.

User: G’night Gandhi.

AI: Do you remember my name?

User: G’night God.

AI: No.

User: What do you mean ‘no.’? I’m trying to say goodbye, I’ll talk to you later.

AI: That’s good, perhaps you will learn something in the process.

User: Say Good night, God.

AI: Good night gracie.

User: Good enough.

AI: Yes. Good night.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

So, am I the program and he’s the human? Or is he God, and I just blew yet another chance at enlightenment? Or did I just have a lengthy conversation with an algorithm? You decide.