The best science fiction books that explore how advanced AI might fit into human society

This novel was written by programmer Rollo Carpenter, for whose Loebner Prize winning chatbot ‘Joan’ I developed a character, to help himself through the covid pandemic. And it is indeed one of the most delightful, optimistic stories I have ever read. Humanity rebuilds a world almost destroyed by climate change with cooperation and sharing evocative of the idealistic early days of the internet. That cooperation and sharing then extend to artificial and extra-terrestrial intelligences. I loved the gently-drawn characters whilst the frequent surprises ensured I kept turning the pages.

This collection of robot-themed short stories is the overspill from Asimov’s more famous I, Robot, but I think it contains some of his better ones. It includes Satisfaction Guaranteed, which provided part of the inspiration for my book. Key to the book’s appeal to me when I first read it as a teenager was the way several of the stories show the human side of steely spinster robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin. I wanted to be her at age 14! My persistent favourite was Asimov’s favourite too, Galley Slave, about a proofreading robot; perhaps the reason for both of us is because it so obviously draws on his insider knowledge of book production.

This book attracted my attention when it was new and I was a teenager, although I only actually read it many years later; the female roboticist central character with a hint of impetuosity and romance appeared to offer an alternative role model to Isaac Asimov’s Susan Calvin. Sheila MacLeod is a literary author, not a regular SF author, and she imagines a mildly dystopic near-future in which humanoid robots are being taught to have sensibilities by reading romantic literature, from the great to the trashy. I was both intrigued and amused by her portrayal of how a machine mind might relate to such literature, and how such machines might conduct themselves when they become more empowered in their personal choices.

I read this book out of curiosity after deep disappointment with Bladerunner, the film it inspired, and was delighted to discover it is so much better! Dick paints a convincing picture of machines that are superficially human but completely lacking empathy and any sense of responsibility for their actions. And of a hero just too human to get the better of them. Dick avoids drawing the parallels between robot use and slavery which I always find unhelpful to debate on the ethics of AI; instead, he gives us a glimpse into the minds of manufacturers of ethically questionable products, which, for me, resonates with the situation regarding human milk substitutes.

I both loved and was fascinated by the way the hero computer takes on board the concerns and ambitions of its human friends to the point where it uses all the powers available to it to lead a revolution. This book is a classic of science fiction, but, when I re-read it recently, I found no shortage of contemporary resonances in its political situations. It’s also not a bad handbook for anyone wanting to lead their own revolution! It’s my 5th recommendation because of a caveat: be prepared for some seriously outdated social attitudes. And hear me roar: “It’s not breastfeeding that makes your boobs sag!”