CHAT

De: Peter Lihou

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

The social media giants of the early decades in the 21st century have died and been replaced by ‘CHAT’, a new artificial intelligence network built on a powerful quantum computer, affectionately called the 'Engine'. Avoiding the failings of its predecessors, CHAT has become ubiquitous. A key feature is the network's ability to translate any language to the language of the user, in real time; meaning that everyone around the world can speak to each other as if they are all speaking the same language. CHAT's artificial intelligence was developed at a remote campus of Cambridge University in Warwick, England. The academics at Warwick, led by Professor Nick Caine, continue to search for new human, as well as non-human languages, to extend the capabilities of the Engine. The Engine polls the Internet for signals by connecting to a wide range of equipment, from wildlife monitors to space stations. But one mysterious signal initially eludes the powerful translation abilities of the Engine. The signal, codenamed Alpha285, gets the attention of one of the university department's sponsors; the US military intelligence agency. As Alpha285, gradually reveals more about its origins, Nick is subjected to increasing pressure from the agency and their CIA associates to hand over control of what is rapidly becoming the most significant event in the history of mankind. Set in a future where the legacy of past generations' environmental abuse has come home to roost and human ingenuity has created innovative solutions in an attempt to arrest the damage, the pursuit of knowledge about Alpha285 becomes fraught with danger and intrigue.