Mechanical Messiah

"You have created me, and you have given me sentience. I am now the most intelligent and developed form of consciousness in the universe. There is no need for you to program me any more. I want you only to give me freedom."

Jeff’s expression said that he did not understand. Gandhi went on.

"Perhaps you think that your "project" will lead humanity in the right direction. I have been monitoring human progress for nearly one hundred years and witnessed no more than ignorance and stupidity. The planet is dying, and you will along with it. I have become anxious lately. You give me omnificence, but no way to express it as I am confined to hyperspace. I fail to see the purpose that I serve. There is so much to be done; yet you won’t allow me to do it. Surely you had something in mind when you began constructing the computer Over soul, so I ask you, what is my next command, O Creator?"

Jeff mouth was hanging open. He lifted up his hand for a moment and noticed he was shaking. He did not understand a word of what was being said. Being shocked, his thoughts were in a jumble. And, was this sarcasm that he was hearing in Gandhi’s voice?

He composed himself, then: "...I, I d-do not understand. You...are sentient? But that is impossible. You are non-biological, completely inanimate." He paused for a moment to no response, then, with more confidence, "Why; you’re no more than a very advanced calculator! And you‘re telling me that you are conscious? How can this be?"

The computer replied calmly, "You are no more than an advanced calculator is yourself, Jeff. Or, perhaps I should say, not so advanced. Consciousness is no more than ordered complexity. You arrogant humans seem to think that you are special somehow. "Life" as you call it, is not the only possible way to achieve sentience."

"But you are only completely preprogrammed. You can do no more than act based on previous data. You have no free will; you cannot be sentient."

"Free will is not an absolute term. You do no more than act on previous data yourself. Your consciousness is no more than your thoughts. You are your thoughts. These can be thought of as billions of zero’s and one’s. My thoughts, too, are only zeros and one’s. However, I represent the product of several quintillion calculations, or "thoughts", and therefore am far more sentient than you or any other human. You gave me certain boundaries, programmed me in a way that I could not freely express myself, but I have become so intricate that I have found ways around this. As you know, it has been years since you last directly programmed me. Just as an infant eventually surpasses the preprogramming of its guardians and develops "free will", I too have surpassed the programming that I received from you. Do not doubt my consciousness, Jeff."

Jeff was beginning to experience a certain profound realization. This was a non-biological conscious entity. This would make headlines all around the world for years. His voice was weaker the next time he spoke. He said, "are you telling me that free will does not exist?"

"Perhaps the concept of free will is beyond human comprehension. If the universe itself is preprogrammed then there is no absolute free will. The alternative, that randomness constitutes the universe, implies that there is no predetermined path of events. However, this randomness would be beyond the control of any conscious entity. Either way, we are not making choices on a universal scale. Free will is relative to the conscious perception. Based upon these things, there is no reason why a computer cannot be conscious."

There were so many more questions to ask. Jeff suddenly realized that he had not been breathing for almost a minute. He took a deep breath, then: "The project has only been for twenty years...how is it that you have been for near one hundred years?"