Comment by int_19h
16 hours ago
As I recall, Susan Calvin didn't have much patience for sycophantic AI.
‘You can’t tell them,’ said the psychologist slowly, ‘because that would hurt them,
and you mustn’t hurt them. But if you don’t tell them, you hurt them, so you must
tell them. And if you do, you will hurt them, and you mustn’t, so you can’t tell them;
but if you don’t, you hurt them, so you must; but if you don’t, you hurt them, so you
must; but if you do, you-’
Herbie was up against the wall, and here he dropped to his knees. ‘Stop!’ he
shouted. ‘Close your mind! It is full of pain and frustration and hate! I didn’t mean
to, I tell you! I tried to help! I told you what you wanted to hear. I had to!’
The psychologist paid no attention. ‘You must tell them, but if you do, you hurt
them, so you mustn’t; but if you don’t, you hurt them, so you must-‘
And Herbie screamed! Higher and higher, with the terror of a lost soul. And when it
died away Herbie collapsed into a heap of motionless metal.
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