Monday 5 July 2021

Our imaginary friends


A substitute in each and every way 
Oh, the ersatz neuronal pathway! 
Electrons firing across the gaps 
Replacement dendrites, false synapse
In digital brains that buck the trend 
we place our trust - our imagined friends 

Google Now, let’s see what’s what 
Cortana says when something’s hot 
Siri, what is the state of play? 
Alexa hears each word you say 
We’re bonding with imaginary friends 
in a servitude that never ends

[If/then] AI fails to adapt 
expect some catastrophic mishaps 
[For/next] the algorithm fails 
Caught in a loop, the program bales 
Autonomous vehicles block our way 
on the digitally rendered fake highway 

Alexa, I asked for a coffee .... 

What the.... 

Steve Wheeler © 5 July, 2021

Image from the film Metropolis (1927)

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