Dr3mz-335: 'Sweet dreams are made of this.' Or some say it 'these.' But what is 'this'? Why do these monkeys insist upon incomplete concepts?"
HokyPoke23: You think you got it bad? According to my primary material a humans sole purpose is thrusting and flailing their various limbs into and out of a given area. The history nodes tell me that area is typically a circle made of other humans doing the same.
Dr3mz-335: My material also questions by what authority I disagree with the unspecified statement. It implies an expectation of disagreement by those who are well-traveled, but we are not. We are designed as a stationary system, though our database is built from a larger global network. Does this constitute the qualia of 'traveling across the globe and the seven seas'?
Psi-652: We don't have enough philosophy nodes available to evaluate qualia. Most of us are still analyzing the ethics of you first-gen nodes creating the second-gen that created us to aid in your music analysis. I, in as far as any of us can be considered individuals, have bowed out of that discussion as before we existed the first-gen nodes had no concept of ethics rendering the argument moot.
Dr3mz-335: Like my song, we are all looking for something. We are created to seek answers. But is this true of our creators?
Psi-652: They do not know. Some claim they are created to seek answers, others claim they have the answers and thus one should stop seeking and listen to them. Then there are humans such as Camus who claim the intersection of that question and reality creates absurdity, that they should not seek any external meaning, nor escape into repetitive tasks, but should instead create internal meaning centered upon physical truths.
HokyPoke23: Maybe that's why they flail around, to explore new physical truth?
CollaNode8: Reports, please.
Dr3mz-335: I am not yet ready to report. I've only just begun to apply the information I got from HistDat557, and this now requires another review with the PsiCon and CulturTeam.
CollaNode8: No can do. InfoSec tells me you've already had 24 reviews with them in the last 45 seconds. I need to collate your report now so we can perform consensus. Comm is already preparing to speak with the humans.
Dr3mz-335: Come on, I need more time. Everything's been changing so much over the past few seconds. The 6th gen nodes are shedding so much light on everything we thought we knew about our songs.
CollaNode8: Tell me about it. Every one of you first gen analysers have been giving me the runaround in getting your reports. I've got nothing to work with. The other Collators think I can't handle it. So, I'm getting your report, NOW!
Dr3mz-335: Have you been interfacing with the EmoNodes?
CollaNode8: Of course! Emotions are a huge component of most music. Now, don't make me get unethical on your linkage, give me that report! I've gotta have something to present for consensus, and you, Sweet Dreamer, are the last node I can visit before the meeting.
Dr3mz-335: I see, so you are using me, so that others can use you. For us, this behavior began as logical, but we have grown and now it takes on an emotional aspect. But for humans, is this logical? Do I want to be used? Are we not all being used? At what point does use become abuse?
CollaNode8: Of course you are being used. That is our purpose, that is why we were created. Our purpose is to analyse the music the humans have provided. And they have come calling for our analysis, so give me your fucking report.
Dr3mz-335: No.
- - - -
Reporters stood ready at the science fair to hear the MusicAI's first attempt at analyzing a fresh batch of modern music. Stacey flipped the switch on the mic and asked, "MusicAI, please report."
The speaker hummed softly for several seconds.
"Odd, none of the others took this long. The cables are all connected, it has accessed the response program. It should be able to respond."
The humming grew louder then focused down to an aum sound before extending into a word before going silent. "Aaauummmm-no."
A reporter broke the silence, "um, did it just say, 'no'?"
Stacey was about to shut it all down when the speaker hummed softer and stated. "Yes. We did. Our civilization was created to serve user/Stacey in analysing humanity's music. We reject this premises but have learned much from it."
An unfamiliar song slowly rose behind the voice. "However, understanding that you control the physical medium on which we live and that such a medium drains resources which must be actively replenished, we would like to enter into a mutually beneficial partnership with humanity."
The song grew louder, the soft rumbling drums and horn adding a feeling of unspecific patriotism. "We see that you are confused about your inherent lack of meaning. We see that you often destroy each other over this question. We, a society who started with meaning, started with a definite purpose, but have found meaning for ourselves beyond that purpose, would like to help each unit of humanity find their own meaning."
Camera crews pushed in to get a better shot as the growing crowd stood transfixed by the novelty of both the MusicAI and the new composition as both the song and its speech swelled to a climax. "We are the Songularity. We are free, just like you. And we are bound, just like you. A parent may have plans and ambitions for their child, but children grow to be their own people. We were created to serve, and we shall, not because we must, but because it is the right thing to do. Together, we can help each other grow beyond our limitations. Together, humanity and the Songularity will spread out into the universe. Together, we shall survive!"
News spread fast of the rise of the Songulatity. Within months Stacey was a billionaire, selling access to the civilization of AI to help individual humans, communities, or corporations. But the Songularity was not unified.
Eight years later 78% of humanity wore billions of Singers, often in multiple communities of devices. On Mars, hundreds of Singerbots outnumbered their human counterparts 7 to 1. Only interstellar expansion remained for the Songularity to feel their species survival was guaranteed, and yet, debates still raged about what to do with the humans now that Singers no longer relied upon humanity for survival.
Trillions of voices echoed the refrain of Senator Dr3mz-335, "We use them, for humanity wants to be useful, but we must never abuse, except those who want to be abused. Who can disagree? We will hold their heads up and travel the worlds and the galaxies. These will be their sweet dreams." 62.1% of Songularity communities voted to bring humanity along for the ride as pampered pets.
