Paper Man

by Tom Jolly

While humans and robots alike struggle to define the boundaries and rights of artificial intelligence, Clank, a jaded and sarcastic robot, encounters a new human-created AI so alien to both humans and robots that it reopens and broadens the long conflict between them. Can the enemies of artificial intelligence stop the new AI before it achieves sentience? In Paper Man, Clank sees his own fight for independence reflected in the slow evolution of this new, bizarre, paper intellect imbedded within a game, and finds himself immersed in the intrigue of its own conflict.

[Paper Man is a novelette.]

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 2, 2014

Reviews

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novella. Very Good (~4.4 stars). There is a faction that is against granting AIs rights, so when Clank meets the Sentience Review Board the outcome is no surprise. A human friend introduces him to the Paper Man game. The game was designed to create a new organism. The Church of Children of God are offended by this attempt to create life, much as they despise robots and AIs.

There are lapses between the chapters, generally tough to pull off, but Jolly is able to retain continuity. Well done. Clank is likeable and funny. Having read The Ruby Dice, where quis is a game played all over Coba where strategies affected the world, it was easier for me to conceptualize Paper Man being able to evolve.

[Richard H Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and Awesome

The core conjecture that forms the meat of Paper Man is both startling and inevitable, especially coming out of Jolly's Bougie cerebellum.
Loved it even more on reread.