Jamie Brindle's Short Story

Although Jamie Brindle’s short story seems to be focused on issues that humanity will not have to face for many years, it is primarily designed to spread a message of what it means to have an identity and what it means to be human. People don’t always have a solid concept of who they are or what their purpose is. Sometimes people choose to cling onto something they consider solid and tie their whole identity to it. John Price AD can’t accept that he is one and the same with the person he is modeled after and can’t cope with the situation he is placed in. Being unable to realize who we truly are is the main thrust of Brindle’s story. While the aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) and human relations does play a big role in the story, Brindle choose to focus on a timeless issue concerning identity. After reading through the story a few times it becomes apparent that the advance directive AI system is as human as any other …show more content…
John Price AD may be artificially created as a mere copy of a man at one point in his life, but he retains all the emotions and opinions of this real human being. Should he, the AI, be considered a real person? Brindle’s clear answer throughout the story is yes. Though a clear distinction is made by seemingly everyone in this fictional society, John Price AD is clearly presented as a sympathetic and realistic character. If a being that can think and feel for itself isn’t considered to have rights or to be “human” simply because it was designed by people then it paints a disturbing future for any intelligent life that isn’t exactly like us. In some sense, the term human is outdated for use in this context and would need to be expanded to fit all intelligent life, though most people in this world wouldn’t agree that AI should be included under this