Idea looking for an author

[Ender]

I just thought of a interesting world to base a story in...

In the not to distant future we can predict the problems that people will have later in life at (or before) brith. Things like dedpression, obesity etc can be predicted but we don't have the tech technology to change the genes that cause the problem... instead people are "assiged" an AI entity to be their companion, friend, coach, etc. to keep them on a path that will prevent the problem with gentle reenforcement and guidance... the form of the entity would very with the subject and what lifestyle adjustment would best help the subject lead a healthy productive live... People would have the choice but they would have a Jiminy Cricket to suggest better choices...

For kids it entity could take take the form of a stuffed aminal, think "Super Toys Last All Summer Long" the bases of last year movie "AI" and Teddy, the Bear. For bigger kids a play mate to chanlenge them... The idea is to give kids the tools so when they grow up they will make the "right" choices for themselve....

Where we get the conlict to drive the story is the inter action of conflicting goals and desires, and the nature of the power that guides these entities and decided what the right choices are...

I see the technology about 20 year in the future and for the most people and AI entities get along well. The AI entities are constructs in a global computer network that follow the indivdual like a gardian angle and looks out for the wellfair of that single person...

I don't really see sex as being a factor in the stories but it is possible and the possiblity for muscle tranformation I think are obivious... bullies, to winn the love interest, etc but there are a lot of non muscle stories there too.

I think it could be an interesting world and have some specific stories/plot lines in mind but I'm not a creative writer but a problem solver.

If this sounds interesting drop me a line...

Yes it's a bit like AI but I see it more like a kinder gentler "Brave New World" for individuals mixed with "I Robot", "I Sing the Body Electric" and "Supertoys..."

Ender--

[wbhunk]

I remember reading a short story along this line many, many years ago....turns out, in the future, all kids had been given teddy bears that slowly conditioned them so that they would be incapable of murder....except this one kid who had been groomed by his father and a well-meaning scientist to assassinate the leader of the society. Turns out, of course, once he finds out and they give him a gun, he shoots the doctor, his father....and ultimately, the teddy.

Strange what you remember from high school lit, isn't it?

[Ender]

Originally posted by wbhunk
I remember reading a short story along this line many, many years ago....turns out, in the future, all kids had been given teddy bears that slowly conditioned them so that they would be incapable of murder....except this one kid who had been groomed by his father and a well-meaning scientist to assassinate the leader of the society. Turns out, of course, once he finds out and they give him a gun, he shoots the doctor, his father....and ultimately, the teddy.

Strange what you remember from high school lit, isn't it?

That's the concept... Sort of like Asimov's "I Robot" stories of how both the people and machines play out their roles for good or bad.

The AI entity would need to get to know the inner working of his assigned "charge" a lot like it 'Psych Profiles" collected by the "mind game" in "Ender's Game" and "Enders Shadow". The AI's goal of making the individual happy and the "best" he can be, could play out in lots of interesting way depending how the AI choose to achive it's percecption of its goal and how the individual reactes to it...

The story line I first thought of is a chubby kid that over the years with the AI is transformed in to the star athlete the kid really wants to be but won't admit even to himself... (yes, it's what I wish could have happened for me... ) Like I said I creative leaning is in solving problems and design systems... One of the things that makes Star Trek work is it has a "rule book" a defind world in which it exists... Systems design...

Ender...

[sexiscriptor]

We're studying stuff kinda like this in Psych. Lemme put it this way: Skinner (a world reknowned psychologist and proponent of Operant conditioning) would be making love to you right now. I think he's dead tho.
Oh well. Basicaly, the whole positive, negative, whatever reinforcements, and all that stuff align perfectly with a lot of what he said and wrote.
However, I don't believe it's right to try to "fix" people like this. W/o depression, we wouldn't have had Van Gogh. W/o ADD we wouldn't have had DaVinci. And so on.
but what do I know? I'm just a psych student.

[Ender]

Originally posted by sexiscriptor
....However, I don't believe it's right to try to "fix" people like this. W/o depression, we wouldn't have had Van Gogh. W/o ADD we wouldn't have had DaVinci. And so on.
but what do I know? I'm just a psych student.

That's why all stories in this genra are cautionary tales... In the process of trying to do "good" you may cause "harm." This really becomes problematic when you ask whose "good" are you going to promote? This it the individual or society. Had VanGogh depression been treated, as it could be today, it is likely he would have lived a "long productive" life but the world would miss the vision from his paintings... where is the good??

Every choice has a consequence, and if the choice had been different the outcome would change, but it's hard to say one outcome is "better" than an other. All the consequences of our choices are never known until the choice is made and acted on.

Ender--

[Mdlftr]

Hey WBHunk,

The story you're remembering is called, "I always do what Teddy Tells Me." It might be by Isaac Asimov--not sure. It IS a classic, and it lingers long after you read it. I remember it was made into a tv short story as well. The written version was superb. The story is told from the point of view of the child narrator, and the reader is one step ahead of him as he becomes disillusioned.

RE: the AI "Jiminy Cricket" character inspiring you to "fix" your problems. A few thoughts... great idea! But....

what about free will, making your own choices, figuring out your own life.??? If your life is preplanned and scripted for you by someone else, how much of a life is it?

[Also, don't most of us already have a conscience (in theory, at least) already?]



Kind of makes you think about the True story about parents who had a child that had leukemia or some blood disease. The only hope for their child was a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor. Mom and Dad couldn't donate for some reason--So....Mom and Dad set out to have another child--Despite the fact that Dad had already had a vasectomy (he got it reversed!) They conceived a child, who was born, grew up to be old enough, then donated bone marrow to the older sibling.

How would you like to be that child? "Oh yeah, you were conceived and born because we needed some genetic material to cure your sister. Yup. You're the spare parts. Thanks." Isn't THAT a kick in the A--!

Deep thoughts from a story idea.....

Mdlftr