Raibert writes his report in the park
2015-09-25

Mr. Raibert. What are you doing out in the park today?

Trying to be left alone so I can write a briefing for Mr. Ishiguro who will be planetside in less than two hours.

This briefing could influence the fate of every artificial intelligence in the solar system.

Is this something you want to do alone?

No, not really.

Color by George Peterson

2015-09-28

Mr. Ishiguro wants things to stay orderly and go according to plan. Free robots would be a major change to the Ecosystems Unlimited plan. He's going to want to maintain control.

What would change Mr. Ishiguro's mind?

An okay from his superiors.

And since our only faster than light communication is the annual starship visit, he'll feel any delay that keeps things the way they are will be the way to go.

Color by George Peterson

2015-09-30

Terraforming is a huge project. There are thousands of steps that have to take place in the right order for a viable ecosystem to take hold. There are good reasons for Mr. Ishiguro to stick to the plan.

We are at the beginning of the robots developing a society. If we ignore what's happening, that society is still going to develop, just without our input.

So, the classic impending collision of an irresistible force and an immovable object?

That question is a lot less fun when you're in between the two.

Color by George Peterson

2015-10-02

We're going to have millions and millions of workers that we never planned on. They're going to require a place to stay. Maintenance. Upkeep. Jobs. It's going to be a tremendous burden on our system!

You know what helps? Don't think of them as a faceless multitude. Think of them as individual people. People, who if given the chance, will work with us to help make this world better.

We can handle this.

Alice of Wonderland could believe in six impossible things before breakfast. For me, just that one is enough.

Color by George Peterson

2015-10-05

Qwerty. Dvorak. Good morning. Today we're going to help Mr. Raibert show that allowing robots to function independently after age twenty will not disrupt terraforming efforts and lead to long term profits.

So, infrastructure needs versus current industrial output, skilled labor for new construction and value added to existing areas without treading on current planned expansion. Got it.

Can we make…?

No! No nuclear sunflowers! It doesn't matter how far the seeds distribute if they take out everything in the local area!

Color by George Peterson

2015-10-07

Sawtooth. Tangent. Glad you could make it. Dvorak will fill you in.

What are you doing?

Every Sunday we get together for a project. Afterwards, we discuss the ramifications of our actions.

These guys want to follow orders. Not all humans are going to give good ones. I'm trying to give the robots something we take for granted. The ability to make an informed decision and tell a human “no”.

Color by George Peterson

2015-10-09

Robots were built to obey orders. I mean that literally.

Do you want a robot to obey the order to kick a puppy?

Well, no.

What's stopping them?

There's… there's… nuts. The only obstacle I know of is you.

Now isn't that a scary situation?

Color by George Peterson

2015-10-12

There are other people working with robots besides me. What's neat is that no one tried to impose morality onto the robots. They came to us.

Well, we do have several robots searching the wilderness with enhanced sensors and recording equipment. No burning bushes. We found some smoldering moss near a volcanic vent, but it doesn't talk.

The first thing to know about the supernatural is that it never appears when it will be incredibly well documented.

To make a long story short, one can not take selfies with God.

Color by George Peterson

2015-10-14

Hey! Eyes on the prize, people.

We're here to help Mr. Raibert write a report. Not to debate on whether the universe is natural or unnatural.

Dvorak, I know that look. You're pulling up web pages as we speak.

I can't help it! My brain has a direct connection to wikipedia!

Color by George Peterson

Poor Wikipedia… (Robot Spike)
There is no FTL communication in this world, so only a local copy for this planetary system is at the mercy of the robots (KALDYH)

2015-10-16

Our first draft.

If we move quickly, we can build enough shelter for when the surge of robots from factories four and five reach age twenty.

This is very… ambitious.

Good, fast and cheap. We're going to have to hit all three.

Color by George Peterson