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A review by inthebelljar
AI and the Trolley Problem by Pat Cadigan
2.0
I really really really wanted to like this story because I absolutely love AIs, and I love questions of morality, and I love ideas about AIs and morality even more. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel like this short story brought anything new to the table. I don't expect or even want answers to questions of ethics by any means, but bringing up the moral complication of killing and causing the death of innocent people 'for the greater good' type deal and simply ending on, "It's complicated, let's discuss it more" just felt...lacking to me. I think I felt like there were some good ideas that just remained ideas without much development or anything new to say about them. I mean. Yes, war is complicated and sometimes hearing morals reflected back to us through our own creations can change our perspectives, and humans truly are the real problem...but I felt like going, "And?" at the end.
Also maybe it's just me, but the kind-of-sort-of subplot of her friend being bipolar and off her medication just seemed...in poor taste. As someone on medication for other mental illnesses and with friends who live with bipolar disorder, I don't feel like it was handled well at all. The main character was, of course, concerned and questioned the ethics of the situation herself and her role in it, but mostly it seemed like it was played for...laughs? "Haha, look at the unmedicated woman do silly things"? Even witnessing a friend go through a manic episode without their medication is not something to laugh at, it is something that can be very upsetting and scary and concerning. And, honestly, even if I didn't have those complaints, I'm still not 100% sure what the purpose of including that subplot in the story was.
Loved the idea of a nonhumanoid robotic construct though and I loved when the AI used the horse construct to wave back. Nice.
Also maybe it's just me, but the kind-of-sort-of subplot of her friend being bipolar and off her medication just seemed...in poor taste. As someone on medication for other mental illnesses and with friends who live with bipolar disorder, I don't feel like it was handled well at all. The main character was, of course, concerned and questioned the ethics of the situation herself and her role in it, but mostly it seemed like it was played for...laughs? "Haha, look at the unmedicated woman do silly things"? Even witnessing a friend go through a manic episode without their medication is not something to laugh at, it is something that can be very upsetting and scary and concerning. And, honestly, even if I didn't have those complaints, I'm still not 100% sure what the purpose of including that subplot in the story was.
Loved the idea of a nonhumanoid robotic construct though and I loved when the AI used the horse construct to wave back. Nice.