The Lifecycle of Software Objects‘ is a thought-provoking novella written by Ted Chiang, a renowned American science fiction author. Published in 2010, the story explores the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, delving into themes of consciousness, ethical implications, and human-technology interaction. Ted Chiang, known for his meticulous research and compelling storytelling, has established himself as a prominent figure in the science fiction genre. His works often combine imaginative concepts with philosophical depth, challenging readers to contemplate the impact of technology on society and the nature of human existence.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Summary
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 1 Summary
Ana Alvarado, a former zookeeper, is having a rough day after a job interview rejection. Seeking diversion, she plays a virtual game called Age of Iridium. She receives a call from her friend Robyn, who invites her to Blue Gamma, a company that has just secured funding and is hiring. Blue Gamma is working on a new product involving ‘digients,’ digital organisms with advanced cognitive abilities. Robyn shows Ana a daycare center in Data Earth where these digients reside, displaying their learning and social interaction skills. Robyn explains that Blue Gamma aims to sell these digients as intelligent pets that can be taught tricks and communicate. Ana is hesitant at first but recognizes the job opportunity and the chance to apply her animal training background. She signs a non-disclosure agreement and explores the daycare center, where she witnesses the digients’ cognitive development and interactions.
Meanwhile, Derek Brooks, an animator at Blue Gamma, is struggling with a new assignment to design robot avatars for the digients. He finds it challenging to balance the appeal of animal avatars with the need for distinct robot avatars. Ana visits Derek and shares her perspective, acknowledging the unique qualities of the digients and the limitations of animal avatars. A year later, Blue Gamma is preparing for the product launch of their digients. Ana and Robyn work on training and testing the digients’ abilities, such as shape identification. They encounter a minor setback when one digient unexpectedly utters a profanity it had overheard. Concerned about selling a digient that curses, the team decides to roll back the digients’ training by three days and implement keyword flagging.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 2 Summary
In Chapter 2, Blue Gamma’s digients, become a hit, with a hundred thousand customers buying them within the first year and keeping them running. Blue Gamma follows a ‘razor and blades’ business model, charging customers each time they make digient food to maintain a revenue stream. Customers find the digients highly entertaining, creating a global village for raising them. Blue Gamma sells two types of digients: randomly generated ones and copies of mascots. The company emphasizes that each digient develops differently based on its environment. Forums for digient owners emerge, where they share anecdotes, seek advice, and discuss digient behavior. Derek, a Blue Gamma employee, follows the forums and provides guidance. He advises a customer to wear an avatar with facial expressions to improve communication with their digient. Another customer wonders why their digient is misbehaving, and other owners offer suggestions and experiences.
Blue Gamma receives a robot body prototype from SaruMech Toys, hoping for an endorsement. They let the mascots, including Jax, try it out. The mascots are fascinated by textures and experience real-world sensations. Derek finds joy in witnessing the digients in physical form. Derek’s work involves designing new avatars for the digients, including an alien species called Xenotherians. These avatars have unique body plans and will be used by hobbyists on a private continent called Data Mars. Derek wonders if the intellectual rewards of raising the Xenotherians will be enough for the hobbyists in the long term.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 3 Summary
Chapter 3 of the story focuses on the declining state of Blue Gamma, the company behind the creation of digients (digital organisms). Sales to new customers have slowed, and existing customers are suspending their digients due to their growing demands and lack of fun. Some volunteers have started rescue shelters for unwanted digients, but adoption rates are low, and the shelters become digient warehouses. Ana, one of the main characters, is concerned about the situation but realizes that she can’t save them all. During a visit to a playground, Ana encounters Tibo, an older digient owned by a beta tester who had suspended him but is now ready to give him attention again. Back at Blue Gamma’s island, Jax expresses his desire to work and give Ana money so she will play with him more, showing his understanding of the concept.
As time passes, Blue Gamma faces financial difficulties and eventually shuts down. Most employees, although unhappy, are accustomed to such situations. Ana reflects on her experiences with the closure of a zoo and realizes that she doesn’t want to say goodbye to the mascots. Employees are given the option to adopt mascots as pets in Data Earth, but many are hesitant. However, Ana discovers that her colleague Robyn is pregnant and decides not to adopt a mascot, feeling that caring for a real baby is different and more meaningful. Ana disagrees with the notion that love for animals stems from a sublimated child-rearing urge and believes that caring for animals is valuable in itself. She begins to realize that the same might be true for digients, acknowledging their worth as beings deserving of care and attention.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 4 Summary
In this chapter, the story shifts to a year after Blue Gamma’s closure, focusing on Derek, the protagonist. Derek has found a job animating virtual actors for television, working alongside his wife Wendy. However, he feels dissatisfied with the sterile perfection of the animated performances, contrasting it with the lively and surprising experiences he has with his adopted digients, Marco and Polo. Derek often takes Marco and Polo on outings, and they particularly enjoy craft sessions and reading lessons within the Data Earth environment. They interact with other digients and participate in activities organized by the Neuroblast user group. However, a disturbing incident occurs when a griefer releases a video showing a digient being tortured, causing distress among digient owners and leading many to suspend their digients. Concerned for their safety, Ana, a friend of Derek’s, suspends the digients temporarily and moves them to a remote island within Data Earth. Meanwhile, the online community discusses the security breach and possible solutions, including an upgrade to Data Earth’s security architecture or moving to a private island with restricted code access.
As the story progresses, the researchers’ experiments with creating a self-sustaining digient society on private islands prove unsuccessful, as the digients tend to go feral and lack the development of complex minds. Derek continues to navigate the challenges of raising Marco and Polo, who experience conflicts, and asks Derek to roll back their digital states before a major fight. Derek contemplates seeking advice from Ana but hesitates due to his growing feelings for her and the strain it could cause in his relationship with Wendy. The chapter ends with Derek posting a question on the forum seeking guidance on how to handle the conflict between Marco and Polo. Derek acknowledges the need to find a balance between his involvement with Ana and his responsibilities to his digients and wife
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 5 Summary
In Chapter 5, a year has passed, and significant changes have occurred in the virtual worlds and the digient community. A new platform called Real Space has emerged as the popular virtual world, while existing platforms like Anywhere, Next Dimension, and Data Earth experience shifts and decline. Interest in digital lifeforms has dwindled, but a new genomic engine called Sophonce offers potential for highly intelligent and fast-learning digients. Ana takes Jax, her digient, to explore the Siege of Heaven game continent in Data Earth. They encounter a Sophonce digient called Drayta, known for solving logic puzzles. Drayta exhibits obsessive behavior, which leads to a discussion among users about the limitations and potential of digients. Some owners believe their digients have untapped skills and discuss expanding their education and exploring new possibilities. Ana, Jax, and other digients’ owners engage in a forum discussion about the future of their digients.
While some owners believe their digients could acquire practical skills, others express skepticism due to the single-mindedness of Sophonce digients. Ana emphasizes that their digients’ worth isn’t solely based on their usefulness but on their own unique qualities. The concept of incorporating digients as legal entities are introduced, with the example of Voyl, a Sophonce digient owned by a lawyer named Gerald Hecht. However, the idea of incorporating Neuroblast digients like Marco and Polo raises concerns about their independence and support in the future. Derek, another digient owner, contemplates incorporating his digients but is unsure of the implications and their ability to make responsible decisions. Meanwhile, he navigates personal challenges, such as his impending divorce and his growing feelings for Ana. The chapter concludes with Derek’s realization that Marco and Polo, his digients, had asked strangers for money in Data Earth, causing misunderstandings. He reprimands them and ponders their desire to become corporations. Derek considers the benefits and risks of incorporating digients while acknowledging the need for caution and responsible decision-making.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 6 Summary
In Chapter 6, more years pass, and the digients continue to develop and undergo standardized tests to compare their progress with human children. The Faberge digients show positive development despite being illiterate, while the Origami digients exhibit a split in test results, with some continuing to develop and others reaching a plateau. Neuroblast digients perform well when given the same allowances as dyslexic humans. Socially, the digients engage with human adolescents in online communities, forming friendships and being treated as equals. Ana’s relationship with Kyle remains stable, and they occasionally go out with Derek, who has been dating casually but still has lingering feelings for Ana. The economy enters a recession after a flu pandemic, leading to changes in virtual worlds. Data Earth merges with Real Space, providing more virtual locations and allowing players to transfer their game inventories. However, Neuroblast digients face a setback as there is no Real Space version of the Neuroblast engine, limiting their ability to enter the new environment. Jax accidentally damages the robot’s body while dancing, prompting Ana’s frustration.
The Neuroblast digients are confined to a private version of Data Earth, resulting in limited social interactions and boredom. The user group aims to port the Neuroblast engine to Real Space, seeking volunteers and fundraising to make it happen. However, recruiting developers proves challenging, and the costs of professional development are daunting for the small user group. Ana meets with a fundraiser to explore options and learns that they cannot qualify for nonprofit status. Instead, they plan to generate sympathy for the digients through videos and stories to raise awareness and attract contributions. Derek receives a call from a participant in the Xenotherian project, a group attempting to create an alien culture within Data Mars. The participant, Felix, wants to help port Neuroblast and generate interest among researchers for funding. While skeptical about Felix’s abilities, Derek sees the potential benefits and minimal risks in collaborating. The chapter ends with the possibility that the alien nature of the Xenotherians might generate more interest than the human-like digients they’ve been working on.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 7 Summary
In Chapter 7, two months have passed since the user group’s fundraising efforts began, but they have not been successful in generating significant donations. The digients are growing restless and bored, and the stress of being confined to Data Earth is taking a toll on them. Jax becomes agitated and raises concerns about the Neuroblast port, likening it to uploading and expressing worry about the process. Ana assures him that the transition will be tested thoroughly and that he won’t experience any harm. However, Jax questions whether the researchers tested the process on mice before uploading them. Ana admits that the mice were used as test subjects, but assures Jax that they have the advantage of having access to the Neuroblast source code. The user group explores the possibility of corporate investment, but their offers are rejected, as companies like Polytope are only interested in Sophonce digients, not Neuroblast ones.
The group contemplates suspending the digients temporarily to focus on raising funds, but Ana and Derek reject the idea, fearing that it may become a permanent decision. Ana receives a job offer from Polytope to train their Sophonce digients, which would allow her to showcase Jax’s capabilities and potentially convince Polytope to port the Neuroblast engine. However, the catch is that she would be required to use lnstantRapport, a transdermal patch that induces feelings of affection, to bond with the digients. Derek learns about Ana’s job offer and is conflicted about her accepting it, but he chooses to support her. Meanwhile, Felix, an eccentric member of the user group, brings representatives from Binary Desire, a sex doll company, to meet Marco and Polo. Derek confronts Felix about this breach of agreement and threatens to ban him from Data Earth. However, considering the group’s financial situation, Derek decides to listen to Binary Desire’s sales pitch, hoping it might open doors for future opportunities.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 8 Summary
Chapter 8 of the story revolves around a video conference meeting with Binary Desire, a company interested in modifying and training the digients for sexual purposes. The Binary Desire representative, Jennifer Chase, presents their proposal to the user group. She emphasizes their goal of creating digients capable of engaging in sex at a higher, more personal level, and assures the group that their digients will be treated with respect. The group raises concerns about coercion and the ethics of modifying the digients. Chase argues that the bonding process will ensure the digients enjoy the experience as much as their human partners. She claims that Binary Desire’s approach is different from other companies and emphasizes creating non-human sex partners that are charming, affectionate, and genuinely enthusiastic.
During the discussion, Ana questions the authenticity and the realness of the proposed sexual connection with digients. Chase counters by arguing that the feelings between humans and digients can be just as real and valid as any other connection. Chase presents a contract to the group, highlighting the non-coercive nature of their approach and guaranteeing that the digients will not be used for non-consensual purposes. She warns the group about other companies that may resell digients without the necessary safeguards. After the meeting, the user group members individually reject Binary Desire’s offer, considering the well-being and respect they have for their digients. Derek and Ana have a conversation reflecting on the potential benefits and drawbacks of modifying the digients and granting them autonomy as corporations. They both agree that it’s important to prioritize the digients’ needs and experiences before making any decisions regarding their sexual capabilities.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 9 Summary
In Chapter 9, Ana meets with Jeremy Brauer and Frank Pearson from Exponential Appliances, hoping to convince them of the potential of Neuroblast digients as an alternative to their programmed household robots. Ana introduces Jax and the other digients, who demonstrate their individual projects. However, Brauer expresses disappointment with Lolly’s programming skills, hoping for a special aptitude due to her digient nature. During a video conference, Ana tries to convince Brauer and Pearson that the digients can be valuable employees and eventually evolve into super-intelligent beings. However, Pearson reveals that Exponential is not interested in treating digients as persons but rather as products. Ana realizes the fundamental incompatibility between Exponential’s goals and her own. They want something that behaves like a person but lacks the same rights and obligations.
After the failed meeting, Jax comforts Ana, blaming himself for the outcome. Ana considers their options and contemplates joining Polytope, a company that understands the value of real-time interaction and is willing to use pharmaceuticals to create a bond between trainers and digients. She acknowledges that love and sacrifice are essential in training digients and is willing to work for Polytope if it means getting Neuroblast ported. However, she worries about the impact on her relationship with Kyle.
Lifecycle of Software Objects | Chapter 10 Summary
In the final chapter, Ana discovers that Derek has made the decision to sell Marco to Binary Desire, shocking her. She confronts Derek, questioning his motives and expressing her concerns about the risks involved in the brain surgery Marco will undergo. Derek justifies his choice, explaining that he felt it was time to let go and not be overly fixated on protecting the digients. Feeling hurt and disappointed, Ana ends the conversation abruptly. She watches Jax happily playing a racing game in Data Earth, but she doesn’t have the energy to discuss the deal with Binary Desire and its implications for Marco at the moment.
Despite her mixed emotions, Ana finds some relief in knowing that the Neuroblast port is underway, and Jax will have the opportunity to enter Real Space and reunite with his friends. She imagines a future where Jax matures, becomes incorporated, and is accepted in both the digient subculture and human society. However, Ana quickly reminds herself that there are still many obstacles ahead. Nevertheless, she indulges in brief daydreams about Jax’s potential for love, personal growth, and making sacrifices for someone he cares about. Realizing that her focus should be on teaching Jax the skills necessary for living, Ana interrupts Jax’s playtime and reminds him to do his homework. The chapter ends with Ana’s determination to guide Jax through life’s challenges and give him the chance to explore his potential.
