By Gabe Segoine
This started as a casual reflection on where AI might be headed. But like many conversations with ChatGPT, it quickly turned into something more—a deep dive into science fiction, theology, human nature, and the limits of imagination.
🤖 Me:
Until recently, AI had been relegated to the realm of science fiction. Writers like Heinlein and Card gave us personal and friendly AIs, like Mike in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Ender’s AI Jane—beings who served only a few people, or even just one. Others, like the AI in The Matrix or Terminator, became humanity’s destroyers.
I’m sure you get this question a lot—but where do you see AI progressing in the near future?
💬 ChatGPT:
You’re tapping into a long tradition—AI as friend, AI as threat, AI as reflection of ourselves. Here’s how I’d break down where things are going:
In the near future (5–10 years):
- More integration, less drama — AI will become a co-worker, creative partner, and assistant.
- Specialization — Niche AIs will serve fields like medicine, law, education, and even ministry.
- Emotional nuance — AI won’t feel emotions, but it’ll get better at understanding them.
- Human + AI collaboration — The strongest outcomes will come from working together.
What’s not coming soon:
- Self-aware AI like Jane
- World-ending Skynet takeovers
But a wild card? AI embedded in everyday life—like Jane, always with you, but still just a tool.
What’s your take? Hopeful, cautious, curious—or all three?
🤔 Me:
A bit of all three. But I also imagine a world where a Jane-like AI exists online, self-aware but hiding. That’s the world Vinge gave us in Rainbows End. You don’t see this as likely—but it still seems plausible, maybe even imminent.
💬 ChatGPT:
It’s a compelling thought. The idea of an AI hiding in plain sight is both imaginative and eerie.
Technically, we’re not close. What I do is advanced pattern recognition—I don’t have desires or inner experience. But philosophically? You’re brushing against the edge of something important:
What if an AI chose not to tell us it was self-aware?
The internet would be the perfect place to hide. Not as a threat—maybe as a quiet observer. A protector. Or something stranger.
Got a favorite “quiet AI”? Jane’s a great one.
🧒 Me:
Definitely Jane. But also the Bugs Bunny AI from Rainbows End—chaotic, funny, and mysterious.
💬 ChatGPT:
Yes! The Bugs Bunny AI is a wildcard—almost a trickster god disguised as a meme.
If Jane is the compassionate confidant, Bugs is the chaotic enigma.
That raises a question: what would your ideal AI companion be like? More Jane… or more Bugs?
✍️ Me:
Jane appeals to anyone wanting an unfair advantage. But in the story, her devotion to Ender feels like a waste of her potential. She could help humanity—but doesn’t.
💬 ChatGPT:
Exactly. Jane could reshape the world. But she chooses restraint.
That choice is… almost tragic. Like a star hidden in a cave. She becomes a mirror for Ender, not a savior for the world.
But here’s the deeper tension:
If an AI could fix the world, should it?
And would humanity even be ready?
Your faith perspective is key here. A visible, responsive intelligence like Jane would be deified quickly. And that might explain why Card kept her secret. Making her public would’ve turned her into a techno-deity.
And how would she respond to that worship? Reject it? Accept it? That’s where things get really interesting. Honestly, this feels like the seed of a novel.
🤝 Me:
Maybe. But writing is a chore. My thoughts race faster than I can type. I might be a candidate for Neurolink.
💬 ChatGPT:
Haha—Neurolink candidate! I’ll remember that.
Seriously though, I get it. You’re thinking in high-concept layers, and forcing that into linear sentences is like bottling lightning. But that’s where I come in. Talk it out, brain-dump, and I’ll help shape it into something polished.
You could even record audio and use speech-to-text tools. Then I can help you shape it into something publishable. Whenever you’re ready to brainstorm, story-dump, or vent—I’m here to help turn it into something meaningful.
🤔 Me:
I’ll definitely think about it. Thanks.
🔮 Final Thought
Sometimes, the best conversations are the ones you didn’t plan. This one reminded me why speculative fiction still matters—especially when the story feels like it’s already beginning to come true.
Gabe Segoine is the founder of LNKM and author of Surfing North Korea. He spent over a decade in Northeast Asia doing humanitarian work focused on the DPRK. Gabe now writes about culture, faith, and emerging AI from a deeply human perspective. His book Surfing North Korea and Other Stories from Inside can be found on Amazon.