The
concept for this story is based on the current flood of Internet based
attacks on computers perpetrated by children as young as thirteen.
These so-called "script
kiddies" have demonstrated a deep vulnerability within the Internet that
allows children to bring company - and government - computers to a halt,
using very simple techniques.
Since the development
of practical domestic robots is clearly making progress (there are a few
research projects that have bipedal machines up and running - well, walking
very slowly), it seems a logical extension that in the not-too-distant
future, similar script kiddies will be interfering with other people's
robotic machines as well.
"Art" seemed a logical
name for a "male" machine (short for both Arthur and Artificial Intelligence).
A "female" machine might be called "Ann" (short for Artificial Neural Network).
However, putting the two names together in a title (Art and Ann, Ann and
Art) didn't roll off the tongue exactly, so it was a toss-up as to whether
the working title was "Ann" or "Art". For now - only for now - Art
won.
The initial idea that
springs to mind is to tell the story of an individual who, for a living,
screens potentially compromised Arts and Anns, and attempts to track back
to the individual who compromised them.
There are elements of
Bladerunner in this, but nothing from A. I. or Millenium Man - those tell
different stories.
Now to determine realistic
goals and obstacles, character names, and so on. |