Machines Like Me
occurs in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life
and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright
student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money,
he buys Adam, one of the first batch of synthetic humans. With
Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This
near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – a love triangle
soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma.
Ian McEwan’s subversive and entertaining new novel poses fundamental
questions: what makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives?
Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and
thrilling tale warns of the power to invent things beyond our control. (Goodreads)
This received a mix reception by the book club readers. Some really enjoyed the moral aspect of when is an AI robot a machine, and when does it become someone? The slow inevitable telling of the story was interesting. The book did generate a good discussion about the rise of technology in our lives, who uses and likes 'Alexa' and what comparisons can we make with AI.
Marks out of 10 - between 3 - 8
Words used to describe it: alien, uncomfortable, difficult, moral
Next Book
Shadowplay by Joesph O' Connor
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