Issue Two: AI and ai

Extending the Dream

Liu Yanzeng 刘艳增, Heaven Earth Man

Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Regrettably, only the first 80 chapters authentically penned by the author have survived. Various continuations of the novel exist, each sparking debates among readers regarding their authenticity. Let us extend the dream and find out what is the essence of this story, what does it mean to write, and how the characters are crafted.

The Flame Bearer

Xia Shi 暇时, Hong Lin

As society progresses, many human cultures and traditions are in decline. The creation of Flame Bearers assist humans in carrying the torch and preserving their culture. Follow Wonton 93, a wonton-making robot, as he learns about the human world, his human-like consciousness, and how human-like robots could end up as a threat to human society.

The Nine-tailed Fox and Humanity’s Voyage

Bie Heng 别衡, Duan Xinqi

The nine-tailed fox Zhao Feilian wakes on humanity’s generational spaceship twenty thousand years after it was sealed. In order to return to its home in Qingqiu, it would have to fulfil the wishes of humans. However, the current generation no longer have dreams or desires, willingly spending their lives on the ship. Follow Zhao Feilian on its attempt to spark humanity’s urge to find a new home, so that it too, can go home.

A Long-Necked Elephant

Luan Fengwan 栾风挽, Meowne

The invention of virtual consciousness allowed vegetative patients to be up and about again—by having the virtual consciousness repeat the patient’s life, the patient’s own consciousness could be awakened. It was a joy for Tong Xin’s parents when he finally woke up, but what happens when the boy figures out how to avoid responsibilities by having the virtual consciousness take over?

Creating Dad

Luan Fengwan 栾风挽, Jiaxin He

My dad sacrificed his life to save others in a fire incident, gaining the attention of the media. To hop on the popularity of the incident, a clone-making company decided to create a digital clone of my dad for free—albeit temporarily, it allowed us to bid a proper farewell. Unexpectedly, the disgraceful deeds of my dad’s past were uncovered through his clone. This is a story of a man who became a hero after his death, but later known as a “villain” because of his clone.

The Hidden Moon Ascending

Han Zhi 寒之, Shaoyan Hu

After the assassination of a Celestial, Su Mobei, a human, was assigned to investigate the case with a Celestial as his partner. Fearful that the Celestial would suspect him of colluding with the White Way—which could lead to his decapitation, he shared his suspicions with the assassin, Bai Qi, who happened to be his long-lost friend. Follow Su Mobei in uncovering the reason for the assassination, the origin of the Celestials, and the existence of the Moon City.

Narcissist

Frost Echoes 凉言, Jiaxin He

Troubled with the pressure from work and the meaningless mundanity of life, the lonely woman made a clone of herself to fill the void in her heart, to which she became reliant and controlling, leading to the clone’s desire to escape and be free.

Would ChatGPT become the ultimate Terminator?

Kane Wan 万户, Wang Xin

The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 has led to the rise of AI in recent years, billions of dollars have been invested into AI start-ups, and all sorts of generative AI tools have emerged one after another, some people even suspect that AI has formed its own consciousness. How should we differentiate today’s AI from machine learning of the past? Would AI evolve on its own? What should an ordinary person do to understand AI?

Collection