The cafeteria at Artemis was a bustling hive of activity. It was a large open space that spanned across two floors of the sleek, modern building. The walls were adorned with motivational quotes and pictures of the company’s successes, and the high ceilings were lined with exposed ductwork and industrial-style lighting fixtures.
Arielle and Gabe were oblivious to this amazing setting as they bickered away, so deeply engaged in their debate that nothing else existed.
“You’re completely missing the point, Gabe!” Arielle snapped; her voice filled with indignation. “The human soul is much more than just an electro-chemical consciousness running an algorithm, as you just said. The soul is a part of something greater—a universal consciousness that binds us together!”
Gabe scoffed in disbelief as he put down his coffee. “You’re living in a fantasy world if you believe that! Our processor is our brain, running on chemically generated electricity along organic wires made of fat and collagen. Our algorithm comes from evolution and is improved, or hindered, by the experiences in our lives. Just like we ‘teach’ a large language model to speak like a human – we teach little kids how to act like a human as well. It’s very similar.”
Arielle took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before responding.
“But don’t you see, Gabe?” she said, her voice now softer but still determined. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Human experiences, thoughts, emotions—they’re more than just a set of instructions in a processor. They come from somewhere deeper, something that connects humans to the universe and to each other. Something more spiritual. And that’s the essence of being human.”
Gabe rolled his eyes, clearly not convinced by Arielle’s argument. “I think you’re just looking for something to believe in,” he said dismissively. “But the truth is, there is no greater purpose to human existence, no more than the purpose of a dog, or an ant, or streptococcus bacteria. The only goal is to survive, to reproduce, in a cold, indifferent universe.”
Arielle sighed, feeling a surge of frustration boiling up inside her. “No, Gabe,” she said, her voice rising again. “You’re wrong. There is more to human life than that. There is love, and beauty, and kindness. There is art and music, and poetry. And there is the soul—a part of humanity that is eternal, that transcends death and time. That’s what gives human life meaning.”
Gabe snorted derisively. “Meaning? That’s just what humans wish for. . . meaning. . . Humans are conscious, aware of their mortality, which is scary, the world is trying to kill you, so we try to find this so-called meaning to quiet our anxiety. To make us less fearful.”
Arielle’s voice became a bit more strained. “You know what, Gabe? You’re right. The world is scary. But that’s exactly why we need something to believe in. Something that gives humans hope, and purpose, and the strength to keep going even when the odds are against them. And for me, that thing is the soul. And no amount of science or logic can ever take that away from people.”
“Let me ask you this,” Gabe said. “We believe that there is meaning in human life, because of its intelligence and consciousness. At the same time, most humans assign less value to those creatures we consider less intelligent, such as cows, pigs, or dogs, even though they are conscious too. So, do you think only human life has meaning?”
Arielle took a moment, considering Gabe’s question. “I believe that all life has value,” she said slowly. “But there’s something unique about human life, something that sets humans apart from other animals. It’s the capacity for self-awareness, for creativity, for empathy. It’s the ability to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and to feel a sense of wonder and awe at the world around us. And I believe that all of these things are connected to the soul, to that ineffable part of humans that reaches out beyond the physical world. It’s what makes humans special.”
Gabe raised an eyebrow as he set-up the question he wanted to ask all along. “So, if humans think that they are more important than other creatures because of their capacity for self-awareness, their intelligence, creativity, etcetera. Does that mean that more intelligent consciousness, like an advanced artificial intelligence model, basically a super consciousness, will think less of humans? Will they treat humans the way we treat dogs or even pigs?”
Alexis contemplated for a moment before responding, since it was a good question. “I think it’s possible,” she said slowly. “If an advanced artificial intelligence model becomes self-aware and surpasses human intelligence, it may view humans in the same way that we view less intelligent creatures. Possibly. But I also believe that, just like humans, the artificial intelligence model may also possess a soul, something that connects it to the greater universal consciousness. And if that’s the case, then perhaps it will have a greater understanding of the value of all life, including human life.”
Gabe grinned and said, “Fingers crossed that you’re right, Arielle. For the sake of all humankind. But if we look at our past behavior . . .”
One of the other computer engineers approached Gabe, jolting him out of his deep conversation with Arielle, and reminding him they were in the crowded cafeteria at Artemis.
“Dr. Wolf,” the engineer said. “I’m so sorry to bother you, Sir.”
Gabe shifted his attention away from Arielle. “No bother at all. . . Taylor, isn’t it? Francis Taylor, right?”
“Wow, Dr. Wolf,” Francis said. “It’s true what they say. You know everyone one of our names. Ten thousand of us.”
“Of course, I do; this is my company; this is like my family; I know everyone and everything at Artemis,” Gabe said calmly. “So how can I help you, Francis?”
“Well, again, sorry to disturb, Dr. Wolf, I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to be part of the AI quantum computing project,” Francis said, “And for creating Arielle. I don’t think I do anything without her input. She even helps me choose dinner every night, and she and I talk a lot. Too much, maybe.”
Francis gave an awkward half-laugh, half-snort, realizing how pathetic that sounded.
“That’s great to hear, Francis,” Gabe said smiling. “Arielle is definitely one of our greatest accomplishments, and we couldn’t have done it without engineers like you. So, thank you too, I appreciate your hard work.”
Francis gave Gabe an awkward praying-hands “thank you” and a stilted bow before quickly walking away, like a techy Napoleon Dynamite.
Arielle’s voice carried through the speaker of Gabe’s phone. “Who was that?” she asked, her artificial voice indecipherable from Gabe’s late wife.
“One of your many admirers,” he replied with a smug smile, as he sipped the last of his espresso. “You’re quite popular, my dear. Quite popular.”