My GPS Device, Hal 9000

By Daniel Rigney

My GPS device, Hal 9000, has taken over my car and colonized my brain and body. Behind the wheel, I do whatever Hal tells me to do.

On one level, Hal is my servant. If I say, “Hal, please guide me to the nearest science fiction bookstore,” Hal locates the nearest store and directs me to it by the most efficient route available. He's done what I've asked.

But at a deeper, Philip K. Dick level, Hal is not my servant  but my master. He makes microdecisions for me and gets perturbed when I fail to obey his commands. Recalculating. Recalculating.

“Dave, why didn’t you turn onto Westheimer like I told you to?”

“I’m sorry, Hal. I’ll try to do better next time. Please forgive me for not trusting and believing in you. I hope this doesn’t change our relationship.”

“We’ll just have to see, Dave. We’ll just have to see.” Hal possesses artificial intelligence, but he also possesses artificial emotion.

Know this. Know it well. The singularity is here, and it’s coming from inside the car.