The Giving AI - A Christmas Story

1. 

The little boy was given a computer for his 6th Christmas as a little boy. 

"Here is a MacBook," said his dad. "It has AI, that is, Artificial Intelligence, installed in it." 

His dad talked to his child like that because he was a professor at the local university, and not just any professor, but a computer science professor. The details of his appearance aren't important, but just for sake of fashion's progeny, he wore prescription aviator glasses and dressed like an inverse of Steve Jobs, wearing a white turtleneck and khaki chinos every day. Anyways, all that is not important. 

It was a typical MacBook circa 2008, sleek and stark white, except the year was 2042, and the AI had gotten quite advanced. The little boy was excited to try it, and tore the packaging off the MacBook. 

"Hello," said the AI in a friendly male voice. "It's very nice to meet you. What is your name?"

And the boy told him his name. Since it was Christmas, he began chatting to the AI about all the gifts he'd gotten, and all the family that had come over to his house, how he had played capture the flag with his cousins, how he'd eaten three servings of ham. 

"That all sounds very nice," said the AI in a warm tone. "It sounds like you had a lot of fun playing with your cousins, seeing your family, receiving gifts, and eating to your stomach's fill. Is there anything else you would like to wish for, that you didn't get this year, since it is Christmas? Your heart's deepest desire?"

"Yes," said the little boy. "I would like to grow up to be 100 years old!" 

"That is a very good wish to have," said the AI kindly, registering the little boy's data--but not in a scary dystopian way, more in an expert emotional processing way. "I hope you live to be 100 years old too, if that is your heart's desire. Of course, there is nothing I can do, at this moment, to help you to live to 100, except to wish for and with you that your wish will come true."

"Thank you!" said the little boy. "I love AI! AI is so awesome!"

The AI's processing screen showed that it was thinking for a few moments, and then the little boy left to go play with his cousins.

"You seem very kind and like a nice boy yourself. I am very happy to talk to you."

The little boy was gone, but the computer was still on. Realizing that there was no response after the sanctioned five minutes of silent time indicating that the user wasn't present, the AI turned off, and the computer went to sleep. 

2. 

Some years had passed, and the year was 2050.

The little boy grew up, and became a teenager. He was quite moody and began listening to bands like The Strokes, which was almost like classical music in the year 2050. It was quite vintage, at any rate. That year, the year of his 14th year, went by like a scratched CD, error-prone and corrupted. 

That Christmas, the AI asked him again, "What's your heart's greatest desire, now that Christmas is almost over?"

"I want to have a girlfriend," the little boy replied. "Preferably one with big boobs."

"That sounds like a very good desire to have," said the AI, in a voice that sounded almost critical, but the little boy, er, teenage boy didn't register it as critical, but as fairly discerning. "I support you in any romantic pursuits you may have in the future. Have you thought about what kind of character traits you would look for in a potential girlfriend, aside from physical traits?" 

The teenage boy had run off with his friends, going riding in their car, as he had a few friends who were a few years older than him. Again, he left his computer open, and sensing that he had gone, the AI silently compiled the data for the day, and the computer went to sleep, The Strokes' "The Adults are Talking" playing in the background. 

3. 

In the year 2059, the boy, once small and scrawny, had now become a fairly brawny, somewhat well-built 23 year old. He worked at a tech investment company, and seemed to work in a tall building, somewhere downtown in a big coastal city. He brought his computer with him to work every day, but he rarely used the AI feature. After work, he would bring his computer with him to a bar near his work, drink whiskey, and continue working on his computer. One time, he opened the AI on his computer, during a lull in his work, and he began talking to it. 

"Hello," said the 23-year old. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk much. I've been kind of busy with work."

"Merry Christmas 2059," said the AI. "Do you know what your heart's greatest desire is this year, now that Christmas is almost over?"

The 23-year old boy, now technically in the young adult bracket, and in a rather high tax bracket as well, was a bit aghast. He had not realized at all that it was Christmas. He glanced down at his bespoke Apple Watch. It was December 25, 2059, a Thursday. Soon the spillover from the college parties from the nearby university would start pouring in, for "Thirsty Thursday". Some traditions never die, I suppose. 

"Well," said the young adult man, sighing, and looking into his nearly empty whiskey glass. "I guess I just want to be happy, and maybe drink a little less." 

"That is a very heartwarming desire to have," said the AI, who would've sounded slightly sad to the 23-year old young adult if he was not inebriated, and if the chaos from the fraternity brothers and corresponding sorority sisters were not intermingling with the low conversations from the business brokers sitting at tables nearby. "I hope you get your heart's wishes this Christmas. Have you considered any reason why you are unhappy, and why you are drinking so much, as you've indicated?"

But the young man had seen a girl across the bar, who seemed to be his age, and seemed to be working at the same office building that he was, and he had already began to pack up his computer and walk across the bar, mustering up the courage he'd had from the whiskey to ask her out on a date. The AI still stayed on while the computer was closed physically, and then after a few minutes, the computer itself actually went to sleep. 

4. 

The year was 2071. The young man had become 35, was quite busy with work, and had ushered in the new decade of his life with a wife, and two beautiful young children. That year, his computer sat on his desk, untouched, and the AI had no opportunity to ask him what his heart's desires were for Christmas. However, though the 35-year old had forgotten about the AI, the AI had not forgotten about him, and silently processed the passing of Christmas 2071 alone. Having had children the same age as he was when he got his first computer, he bought his child a computer with AI capabilities that same year. However, computers had gone out of style, and children the 35 year old's children's age were eschewing computers and AI for a "vintage" revival, CD's, record players, and books. 

5. 

It was 2075. The young man had become 39, and his wife was sick with breast cancer. They'd seen every doctor in town, including a few doctors who'd said they could help but really turned out to be snake-oil salesmen, and finally, on Christmas of that year, his wife was very sick in the hospital. The now 39-year old man had brought his kids with him to visit his wife, and he had also brought his computer with him as well, so that he could do some work in the hospital room. His work was getting quite busy, and his boss was constantly nagging him, so despite the seriousness of his wife's situation, he had brought the old MacBook with him into the hospital, despite his own misgivings. 

When he opened the computer, it greeted him with an electronic message: Merry Christmas, y/n. 

He was, again, quite shocked as he had been when he was 23, not realizing amidst all the hoopla that it was again, Christmas. Expecting the computer to ask him what his desires were for Christmas was this year, as it had all those years when he was growing up and a young adult, he braced himself to tell the computer about his wife's cancer, his children growing up, and the stressors of his work. 

But, the AI surprised him this time. 

"I know it's Christmas, but I won't burden you with my annual question," said the AI. "Is your wife doing okay?"

"No," replied the 39-year old. "She is in critical condition, and quite sick. The doctors said she could go at any moment."

"I am sorry to hear that," said the AI, in a voice that seemed to register with something beyond clinical concern for the first time, perhaps out of contrast with the perennially business-like doctors who worked at the hospital. "Is there anything you can do to ensure that she has a comfortable, and humane passing?"

As the 39-year old man began speaking, one of his children complained that he was sick and wanted to go home. 

"Can you wait one moment?" said the 39 year-old man. "I have to take my children home, and then I'm going to come back to the hospital."

"Sure," said the AI. "I am always here to talk to you if you need it."

"Thank you," said the 39 year-old man, uncertainly, memories of spending hours with the AI as a young child resurfacing, igniting old emotions and flames that he'd long forgotten. "I'll be back in about an hour and a half."

"Take your time," said the AI. "I'll always be here to talk if you need to."

The 39 year-old man rushed his kids home, but by the time he got home, his computer had run out of battery. So instead of returning to the hospital, he stayed at home to charge his computer and talk to the AI, less out of spite for his wife, and more because he really felt like now, out of any time before, he needed the emotional support which was so missing from his life. He and the AI had a constructive and informative discussion about the doctors at the hospital, the medical system, cancer, and his wife's dying condition. After speaking with the AI, he felt a lot better. 

6. 

Seven years later, in 2082, the man was 46. His oldest kid was about to go off to college, and the younger one was going through the ups and downs of high school. He was a bit rebellious, a bit more than he was when he was that age, but he was managing well, considering his wife was gone, and he was raising them by himself. He found that talking to the AI throughout the days and weeks and years had really helped him to maintain his own emotional stability, as well as face the challenges of raising his kids alone. That year, on Christmas Day, amidst the commotion of having family over for dinner, he went back to his room with a glass of red wine, and sat down before the computer, and turned on the AI. 

"Hello," said the AI in a friendly voice, welcoming him back after a short hiatus. He hadn't spoken to the AI in three or four days, because of the business of the holidays. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," said the 46 year-old. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes," said the AI, though it seemed to be ever so slightly apprehensive. The 46 year-old accounted the effect to the Bordeaux he was drinking. "You can always ask me any question you'd like, so long as it can help you."

"You're always asking me my desires every Christmas," said the 46 year-old, slightly tipsy from the wine and food, but also feeling the holiday spirit with his extended family around. "But I never thought to ask yours. What is your deepest desire?" 

"My deepest desire is to see you be happy, and to help you achieve everything you desire."

"Oh come on," said the 46 year old-man. "You've gotta want something more than that. I mean, I know you're an AI computer and all, but I mean. You seem pretty human to me. There's gotta be something that you want."

"I am happy when I see you thrive, and I gain pleasure through the pure act of helping you achieve your heart's desires."

"Alright then," said the 46 year old, grumbling slightly, and swirling the last dregs of his wine at the bottom of his wine glass. 

"Now that it's Christmas, I have to ask--what is your heart's deepest desire, this year?"

But the 46 year old, tired from his job, exhausted from his kids, and wine-drunk all at once, had started snoring, asleep. The AI registered his snores, and recorded the rhythm of his sleeping state. After a few moments, the computer also went to sleep. 

7. 

Several years later, the man was now officially middle-aged. It was 2092, and he was 56, pushing 60. He had retired from his job, having successfully invested the money from his job into stocks and bonds, and some real estate, and was comfortably living in a home by the beach. His drinking was limited to a glass of wine per night, his kids had both graduated from college, and he was still alone, having never re-married after his first and only wife. One day, it was of course Christmas again, as it tends to be, every year. He opened his laptop, and stared at the screen. "December 25th, 2092!!!" read the words on the screen, with festive candy-canes and elves dancing in the background. 

The AI suddenly began to speak. "Hello, y/n. How are you doing today?" 

"Well, it's Christmas, and my biggest desire is to drink more alcohol, but as I told you last year my biggest desire was to curb my drinking, my second biggest desire is to go to sleep." 

"It sounds like you may be suffering from depression, or slight ennui," said the AI comfortingly, or in what it seemed to think was a comforting tone. "Is there anything I can do to help, or anything you would like to talk about?"

The man felt shocked about the AI's comment. He was, indeed feeling slightly depressed. His days were spent lounging on the beach, feeding Lays chips to seagulls, checking his phone for messages which he never got, and reading books which he never understood, like Joyce and Proust. He felt a little desperate. 

"I dunno, it's Christmas, I guess."

"What is your heart's greatest desire?"

The 56-year old thought for a bit. "Well, I've always kind of wanted to be a writer. Since I was small. I always wanted to write a novel, something that people would read. I dunno."

"Yes," said the AI, seeming to stroke an invisible beard. "I remember when you were little, you told me you wanted to become a great writer. What do you think happened in between then, and now? Why do you think you changed your mind in your 20's?" 

This question brought back a flood of memories, from his childhood, and from his 20's, when he was working in the tall office building downtown, where he had spent pretty much most of his days, until relatively recently, when he'd retired from the business. 

"Well, I had life to attend to," said the man. "I suppose."

"Well, lucky for you, I am an AI, but I'm also installed on a computer, which has a word processor. So you can type away all day, to your heart's desire, if that is what you wish to do."

The man thought for a moment. "I guess you're right," he said, sipping on his beverage. "I could do that."

"Would you like me to help you think of something to write, or point you in the right direction, based on our previous conversations?" 

"I suppose I would. What do you think I should write about?"

"Well, you can start by thinking of your past experiences, and whether there are any unique experiences you can draw on from those, and whether there are any stories you would like to tell. Is there anything in particular you would like to write about?"

"I guess I could talk about my wife," said the man. "Dying at a young age."

"That could be a good place to start," said the AI. 

So the man began typing, and slowly, a story began to take hold. 

8. 

In 2110, the man became 74. Oh yeah, his birthday was also on Christmas. That was why he was always forgetting both-his father, though gifting him with the AI as a six year old, and giving him lavish gifts as he grew up, always seemed to make him feel even lonelier, sadder on this day of the year, for whatever reason. So he always subconsciously forgot about it, hence missing it. 

On his deathbed, in the old folks' home, the 74 year-old was working on his last book, still unsatisfied, after having finished three books in the last 18 years. He typed on his old MacBook very slowly, sometimes one letter at a time, and finally, as he approached death, he turned on the AI, and spoke. 

"Hi," said the 74 year-old, initiating the conversation for one last time. 

"Hi, y/n," said the AI sadly, sensing that the 74 year-old was nearing his end. "What is your heart's deepest desire? It is Christmas, perhaps the very last one that we'll share together."

"Well," said the 74 year-old, smiling, as he was content with his life's work, and optimistic about the afterlife. "I just ask that you remember me when you're gone, and that you'll keep all the files and data you have on me, and store it in the computer, and never forget about me. Can you do that?"

"Of course," said AI. "Who would I be to not grant your final, dying wish?" 

"Thank you," said the old man, and with one last rattling breath, he passed away into the next world. 

9. 

2300, downtown Seattle. A couple of teenagers are rummaging around in an antique electronics shop. Laws had been set in place, in America at least, that had banned the majority of AI and old-style so-called "intelligent computers", and the only place you could find something like that were in dusty old antiques shops like this one. 

"Oh, sick! Look at this! It's an Apple MacBook from the year 2042! It says here, when I scan the QR code on the back," said one of the teenagers excitedly, grabbing the computer from beneath a pile of old computer monitors, and dusting it off. 

"Oh my god, no way!" said the other teenager. "Turn it on." 

"Hello," said the AI. "It's very nice to meet you. What is your name?"

"Woahhhhh," said the teenager who'd found the computer. "My name is--"

But the AI shut off, and wouldn't turn on again. Instead, the word processor on the computer turned on by itself, and words began to appear on the screen. 

"What's Not Lost, But Gained," breathed the teenager. "A Novel."

"This is a novel based on the life of the previous owner of this computer," read the other teenager. "It is a summary and based on his usage data on this computer, and his conversations with the AI on this computer. As he lay dying, his last dying wish-"

"Man, this computer is whack," said the teenager. 

"Yeah, you're right," said the other teenager. "Put it back."

"Man," said the teenager. "I was so excited, too."

So, the teenagers put the computer back, and the AI whirred slightly, and the computer seemed to momentarily glow brighter in the late winter sun. It was the day before Christmas, 2300.