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A Simple Recipe
Teaching Machines how To Cry follows a woman with a bionic leg and a mysterious connection to a prototype AI unit, who returns to her childhood hometown and is reconnected with the AI, discovering secrets about her life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have worked in the field of AI for the last eight years. I was responsible for managing the development, testing, and deployment of AI prototypes to advance the work of the United Nations and its partners to tackle issues such as poverty, climate change, and conflict around the world.
Every day I advocated for the ethical design and use of AI technology whether I was in the office or on the world stage.
A few months back, my son Alan asked me (as he does every other night) “Mommy, tell me a story.” As I told him the story of a child pirate who navigated the Caribbean Sea, something clicked inside me – why not share my thoughts and beliefs about AI and ethics by telling a story about it? The day after, I woke up before my alarm clock, and I wrote the first paragraphs of Teaching Machines How to Cry.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
Before I wrote my debut novel, Teaching Machines how to Cry, I authored many book chapters, blogs, and reports about the innovative and responsible ways to use AI technologies for sustainable development, humanitarian action, and peace.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
My debut novel, Teaching Machines how To Cry, is made out of a few ingredients and it follows a simple recipe. The ingredients are: nine ounces of AI and ethics, nine ounces of raw emotions, nine ounces of machine learning and a pinch of Porto city. I mixed all the ingredients, then I wrapped the mixture in a veil of spirituality and added a generous sprinkle of humor.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am now working on translating my first novel into Spanish.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
But she feels empty. Something is missing and despite all she tries she can’t figure out what it is. The last time she remembers feeling fulfilled was as a child when her family hosted M, an AI-prototype, who became her companion. At the time she unexpectedly lost M her hollow feelings grew. She longs to find something she lost in her life and believes that M can help.
Briefly, a love affair with a fellow scientist fills her emotionally, but when tragedy strikes, she realises that she needs M more than ever. When M mysteriously returns to her, she discovers that everything she believed about her life has been wrong, and there is only one course of action to bring her back to wholeness. But she doesn’t know if it is too late.
Teaching Machines how To Cry
Teaching Machines how To Cry is a wondrously unique novel that explores the complex relationship between humans and AI technologies. Alba, who requires a bionic leg, and her family host an AI prototype called M in their house. The story lapses between Alba’s childhood and ten years later when she discovers that she and M are more deeply connected than she ever could have imagined. Teaching Machines how To Cry stirs up some riveting and relevant questions: what happens when machines are able to learn emotions, and how far are we willing to push the boundaries of ethics for science?
Paula Hidalgo-Sanchis weaves numerous thought-provoking contrasts into the book, including her writing style. This is seen in her matter-of-fact tone paired with flowery descriptions of nature and the alternation between the first and third-person points of view. The book’s ending is also fascinating and relatively obscure, leaving the reader to make their own interpretation. This ties in well with the overall theme of uncertainty found in both Alba’s story and the concerns about developing technologies. The addition of Alba’s inner thoughts throughout the book really brings her character to life. Her innocent articulation and fleeting ideas create a fondness for the character, making the turn of events in the story even more emotional. The story is a genius mix of science and romance, with some teary moments along the way.
Teaching Machines how To Cry is a five-star read, perfect for anyone interested in the future of science and AI technologies. The topic is quite fitting with the recent advancements in robotics and touches on interesting topics, such as transhumanism and wild thinking. It will leave the reader reflecting on the negative impacts of AI on our mental health in the near future despite providing positive physical benefits.
Pages: 199 | ASIN : B0CH45Z63K
LITERARY TITAN 