Had to have a read of Kazuo Ishiguro's new book 'Klara and the Sun' (2021). The narrator Klara, isn't human. She is a solar-powered robot designed to comfort human children in the near future in America. She is an 'Artificial Friend', an 'AF'.
The story follows Klara's 'life cycle', from the retail store to the adopted family to be frail and ill teenager Josie's companion, and then to being unwanted because she isn't useful anymore. The author gives Klara, and all AFs the ability to emote, and to learn human behavior, and become more human-like.
The Kindle copy was only USD4 less than the physical book. If you want an audio version to accompany the digital book, another USD11+ was required. Damn smart, the publishers. I would have waited to simply borrow it. But this is a book the man definitely wants to read. So it was downloaded into the Kindle the day it was released. Happiness was when a bright red copy appeared in the mail on World Book and Copyright Day as a gift to the man! Wheeeeee. He was thrilled. (Reviews here, here, here, here, here and here.)
Josie is ill. Her Mother seems to want Klara to learn all of Josie's mannerisms and behavior. Klara's voice in this novel, is clear. The author didn't portray her to be a scheming humanoid waiting for a chance to replace her human. Klara is portrayed as a loyal and gentle robot, seeking to understand the world, and to become a friend to Josie. Josie got very ill, and as the years got by, she miraculously got better. She grew up and it was eventually time to go off to college. Klara's job was done.
In Klara's last days in the house, she began to realize that there wasn't much she could help with. Josie and the Mother didn't need her anymore. As Josie prepped to go to college, and more friends stayed over, Klara began to hang out in the utility room because it seemed 'appropriate'. There was a high window in the utility room, but Klara couldn't look out of it because it was too high. Josie came looking for her, and decided to make a lookout spot for her. Josie placed piles of boxes and a trunk together to make steps so that Klara could step up and look out of the window, something she loved doing.
Josie had said her goodbyes in a series of hints — she knew that Klara might not be around when she returned for a visit. And Klara was given her dues of a 'slow fade' instead of being opened up to have more research done on her. Klara was relegated to a Yard (a junk yard I think, with obsolete AFs and other electronic parts and bits) and could spend days with her memories and the Sun.
'No, Henry, you don't. Klara deserves better. She deserves her slow fade.'
'But we have work to do here. We have to resist this backlash...'
'Then go resist it elsewhere. Find some other black boxes to prize open. Leave our Klara be. Let her have her slow fade.'
The Mother had stepped in front of me, as though to shield me from Mr Capaldi, and because in her anger she'd taken her position hurriedly, the rear of her shoulder was almost touching my face. As a result, I not only became very conscious of the smooth woven fabric of her dark sweater, but was reminded of the moment she'd reached forward and embraced me, in the front of her car, the time we'd parked beside the Grind Our Own Beef cafe.
I'm supposed to empathize with a robot. I find it very hard to do that. Unless one equates robots with emotions, and bring in the notions of loyalty and service. However, the author has succeeded in planting the idea of 'emotions' in a robot, or if a robot can come to learn 'emotions', then would it still be real? Or is it simply an admirable skill? I wouldn't mind a Klara in my life. It sounds rather attractive to an introvert — to have cute little robot that I can shut down anytime that it's no longer needed. Hurhurhur. But... is it fair? Hmmm.
Do read the reviews of the book. Read all of them; those are brilliant. The writers have been excellent in penning their thoughts, comparing to all sorts of novels that centers a story on artificial intelligence. While the genre is supposedly sci-fi in its use of the future and robots, this is certainly no sci-fi book. It's a book about humanity, and questioning what human emotions wrought.
'Manager, I did all I could to learn Josie and had it become necessary, I would have done my utmost. But I don't think it would have worked out so well. Not because I wouldn't have achieved accuracy. But however hard I tried, I believe now there would have remained something beyond my reach. The Mother, Rick, Melania Housekeeper, the Father. I'd never have reached what they felt for Josie in their hearts. I'm now sure of this, Manager.'
'Well, Klara, I'm glad you fell things worked out for the best.'
'Mr Capaldi believed there was nothing special inside Josie that couldn't be continued. He told the Mother he'd searched and searched and found nothing like that. But I believe now he was searching in the wrong place. There was something very special, but it wasn't inside Josie. It was inside those who loved her. That's why I think now Mr Capaldi was wrong and I wouldn't have succeeded. So I'm glad I decided as I did.'
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