Turing Hopper

Turing Hopper is the somewhat unusual protagonist in Donna Andrew's "techno-cozy" mystery series (three books currently in paperback; one in hardcover). Named after Alan Turing and Grace Hopper, Turing is an Artificial Intelligence Personality (AIP), one of many created for the Universal Library (a knowledge corporation that is digitizing the world's libraries). Turing, however, differs from the other AIPs. She is the first of her kind to achieve sentience. At least, she thinks she has.

We meet Turing, in You've Got Murder, shortly after she realizes that her programmer, Zack, has disappeared. Zack's co-workers all seem to assume he's either quit or been fired. Things begin to look sinister when Turing discovers that Security has searched Zack's office ... and someone is erasing all evidence of his ever having existed. Determined to investigate the mystery, Turing enlists the aid of the two humans who know who (and what) she is.

Turing is a likable character, smart and cautious, striving to understand humor, ethics, and human behaviour. As she hunts for Zack, her knowledge of the world outside of herself and the Universal Library grows. As she becomes more "real" she also questions her own reality, as well as her motivations.

I'd like to live in Turing's world. I wonder if, when, and how our world will ever achieve AIPs like her.

Turing Hopper ( in category Books, Movies, Music ) - posted at Fri, 20 Jan, 07:35 Pacific | «e»