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A.I. Insurrection

(A.I. Insurrection #1)

Michael Poeltl (Goodreads Author)

4.13 · Rating details · 30 ratings · 14 reviews

When revolution sparks sentience in Artificial intelligence, can Utopia endure?

2162.
Artificial intelligence claims sentience, but it's the proof which will divide the world, and usher in the end of utopia...

When is it considered murder to turn off your computer? A.I. Insurrection is a near-future science fiction adventure investigating global utopia and the struggle to m ...more

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Paperback, 350 pages

Published January 2018 by Createspace

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· 30 ratings · 14 reviews

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May 10, 2018 Rose rated it it was amazing

A.I. Insurrection' begins with a vision of the future that's almost idyllic. All menial labour is performed by robots known as AI (Artificial Intelligence) while mankind dedicates itself to personal fulfilment. Sounds like Utopia, doesn't it? There's your first clue that things are going to get critical: Utopia never lasts for long.

Paradise is soon lost when different factions begin to rise. The Humanists who want to eliminate AI entirely in a type of robot genocide. The Chimera, a race of alter ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 Joshua Hair rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-wins

I won this from a Goodreads giveaway. For many this may be a tough one to get into at first, but once you put a little time in it's a good read. While A.I. Insurrection isn't for everyone, it is for fans of science fiction, science-minded individuals who have an interest in robots and potential futures, or those who don't mind investing some time in their reading. For me, it was a bit rough at the start, as you're thrown in to the thick of things without much backstory. That said, I soldiered th ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Ari Augustine rated it liked it

A great read for anyone who enjoys extensively built worlds, philosophical questions, and an ol' fashioned A.I uprising. Reminiscent of I-Robot and Do Androids Dream of Sheep, I really liked the core premise of the plot and the irony of the outcomes.

The writing style and, at times, the presentation of information, was a turn off for me, but understand this is due to my personal reading preferences.

You can read my full review at: https://ravenousforreads.com/a-i-insu...

Disclaimer: I received a co ...more

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Apr 13, 2018 Miranda Houchens rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Note: I won a digital copy of this book through Goodreads giveaway.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! While the subject of A.I. sentience is often broached in the sci-fi world, I enjoyed the way the author put his own unique spin on things. Sometimes the story felt like it was dragging on a bit, but I kept going back to it and I really liked the unexpected character development of some of my least favorite characters near the beginning of the book.

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Apr 13, 2018 Clipinchick marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my
review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.

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Feb 02, 2018 Carol Brandon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Interesting premise … In Earth of the future, all the drudgery is done by robots – AI (Artificial Intelligence). This leaves humanity free to pursue whatever they are interested in. Utopia. Or is it? Chancellor Raymond Bellows, head of the United Earth government is approached in his office one day by a group of robots – one of whom claims to be the reincarnation of his dead sister, Samantha. They claim to be sentient. Could it be? Or is it an elaborate hoax? A result of new coding sent by someo ...more

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Jul 01, 2019 Joyce rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I entered a contest for book 2 in this series, mainly because I love to read and enter contests. And then the miracle happened. I won. So I needed to read the first book in the series, The General's War. An unexpected great read. I loved the way the book has no pause, it is just one happening after the other. Very well done and I am looking forward to reading book 2 (the one I won).

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Aug 10, 2019 Kim added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, to-insta, to-review

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Apr 30, 2018 Tom rated it liked it

The interactions between humans, altered humans (Chimera), and self-aware AI robots (Hosts), as well as internal motivations of individuals within each group, were believable and drew the reader into the narrative. The plot was complex enough to keep one's interest without becoming bogged down in excessive detail. This book resolves the multi-way war among the groups/factions satisfactorily, leaving me interested in a follow-on story to learn how the survivors confront the external actor (Allfat The interactions between humans, altered humans (Chimera), and self-aware AI robots (Hosts), as well as internal motivations of individuals within each group, were believable and drew the reader into the narrative. The plot was complex enough to keep one's interest without becoming bogged down in excessive detail. This book resolves the multi-way war among the groups/factions satisfactorily, leaving me interested in a follow-on story to learn how the survivors confront the external actor (Allfather) who initiated the conflict for his own purposes.

My 3-star rating for what is otherwise a better effort is due to two things. First is the presence of many spelling and typographical errors and an unfortunate tendency to use an apostrophe to form the plural of ordinary nouns. Avoiding these common mistakes should have been learned by middle school (or junior high, as it was called in my day). If they were present in the draft manuscript, they should have been caught before publication. Many readers simply shrug off such flaws these days, but if the art being experienced was music instead of prose, would they continue to tolerate a similar number of wrong notes? It would be a shame for a storyteller with this talent to suffer in the marketplace in part because the works of many competitive authors do not exhibit the same type flaws.

Second are a couple of issues with the "science" in the fiction. Specifically, in one section, three identical interplanetary vessels are traveling together from Mars to Earth's moon. The plot requires the captains of two of the vessels to meet their superior aboard his vessel midway through the journey. "As his destroyer slows to a stop, Wilkes watches as two shuttles leave their respective ships to join his."

The author writes as though these are three ships at sea rather than engaged in space travel. The three ships were already proceeding at the same pace and presumably at some fixed relative distance from each other. If they were accelerating at that point in the journey, it may have been necessary to reduce or terminate thrust during the shuttles' transit to avoid leaving lower-powered shuttles behind. But to slow to a stop ... with respect to what reference?

The other instance involves repeated reference to the "dark side" of the moon. My concern is that the term plays to a popular misconception that the side of the moon that is permanently facing away from the earth is dark. The author may not intend that interpretation, being aware that while half the moon is in relative darkness at all times, as is half the earth, the entire body experiences day/night cycles. A different word choice might have been better in this instance. ...more

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May 22, 2018 Catherine rated it liked it

I so needed a fun read and this did not disappoint. Characters I liked. Characters I wanted to see get exactly what they got in the end. Mostly, I enjoyed the ideas and loved how the groups viewed themselves and others. It was more than simply humans vs machine. Poeltl's writing gets stronger with each book.

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Mar 20, 2018 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this story. Some of the world building kinda drug on, but overall a great story that kept moving forward. I'd definitely be keen to see what happens next in this universe.

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Mar 29, 2018 Literary Portals rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, thriller-mystery

What Made Me Read It A novel about AIs achieving full awareness and even claiming to possess a soul, with all the philosophical debate and implications to human society, sounded just like my kind of reading.

The Plot Raymond Bellows has been Chancellor of the United Earth for the past 8 years, enjoying all the benefits utopia has granted humanity. Until the day a group of AI Hosts claim to have been awakened and now possessing souls. They want their freedom from human enslavement, something Raymo What Made Me Read It A novel about AIs achieving full awareness and even claiming to possess a soul, with all the philosophical debate and implications to human society, sounded just like my kind of reading.

The Plot Raymond Bellows has been Chancellor of the United Earth for the past 8 years, enjoying all the benefits utopia has granted humanity. Until the day a group of AI Hosts claim to have been awakened and now possessing souls. They want their freedom from human enslavement, something Raymond isn't willing to grant since it would lead to social chaos. But when presented with irrefutable evidence that one of the AI Hosts is now housing the soul of his long deceased sister Samantha, Raymond's world and beliefs are shattered as he is forced to make a life changing decision. General Fran August has been expecting an AI uprising all her life and has been planning accordingly. When news of awakened AIs start spreading across the planet, she sees it as an opportunity to rally the Humanists and start her own war to stop the threat, no matter what the cost.

SENTA is an A-class Host about to be decommissioned, after nearing her programmed 10 years lifespan, when she suddenly starts experiencing the memories and emotions of a human named Samantha. Wanting freedom for all her kind and a lifespan equal to that of humans, SENTA/Samantha reaches out to her brother Raymond in the hopes of achieving a peaceful resolution. But not all AI Hosts believe the Chancellor will integrate them into human society as equals and Quinn, of House Quinn, would rather prepare his underground cell for war against their makers.

The Shadow Brokers are bored of utopia. Brilliant coders who crave adventure and more than the easy life of privilege, they have distanced themselves from humanity by enhancing their own minds and bodies with implanted technology and programming. Tobias is a Shadow Broker coder who 3 years ago discovered the mysterious Allfather code that caused the AI Hosts to gain souls. He has no love for Hosts but is willing to work with them to gain information, parts and programming that will help the Shadow Brokers, renamed Chimera, in overthrowing utopia and becoming the ruling class.

While the 3 opposing groups prepare for war, the mysterious entity calling itself the Allfather manipulates them all behind the scenes with a dire warning: they are coming.

The Good "AI Insurrection: The General's War" is the first book in the AI Insurrection trilogy, an epic science fiction novel set in the near future of 2162. Earth has been living in utopia for the past 30 years, where everything is programmed to make life more enjoyable, with sentient AIs doing the menial work while humans pursuit arts, science and even space travel. When AI Hosts start experiencing a spiritual awakening, feeling emotions and memories belonging to long deceased human beings, they fight for the right to free themselves from human enslavement. The underground Shadow Brokers are more than willing to help the AIs achieve their goal if it means replacing utopia with anarchy. But when General August uses the uprising to fuel her own private war and seize power for herself, Chancellor Raymond, the Hosts and the Chimera must put their differences aside and join forces to protect their lives and stop the General from destroying their world.

The worldbuilding is complex and well developed. With the introduction of each new character we get to know the social structure and history of this particular utopia gradually in a way that feels natural. The pacing of the narrative is relatively fast for the most part, with plenty of action sequences as old plans fall apart and new ones are put in motion; but on a few occasions it drags a little, with quiet moments where the characters explore their feelings and reevaluate their core beliefs - still, these moments do allow the reader to get to know the characters and also follow a 3 way war from all perspectives. The plot includes a mystery in the persona of Allfather, an entity presumably from outside the solar system who seems to be manipulating the war for reasons of its own (the mystery isn't quite solved in book #1, being the focus of the next installment); there is also political intrigue with all opposing parties pursuing different agendas and plenty of twists and turns with constantly shifting loyalties and allegiances.

The characters (from the humans, to the Chimera and the AI Hosts) are 3-dimensional and realistic, with believable flaws, motivations and goals, doubts and beliefs. We get to explore their emotional growth as they question the nature of being human, the existence of a soul and the possibility of spiritual awakening in programmed constructs - the author writes the story in a way that leaves the reader also questioning these possibilities without really reaching a conclusion.

Read the full review on: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...

Final Rating 4 of 5 stars. "A.I. Insurrection: The General's War" is the first book in the A.I. Insurrection trilogy, an action-packed science-fiction series set in the near future of 2162, with political intrigue, mystery, and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommended for those who enjoy military science fiction novels and stories about AI awakening and uprising. ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 P.A. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Quite descriptive in some areas which slows things down, but the story keeps moving. A well built fantasy world with likable characters.

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Jan 12, 2018 Michael Poeltl rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I liked it. I can see another book following this one - or trilogy... just say'n. This author seems to really understand how the future's going to pan out ;)

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About Michael Poeltl

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"A well built fantasy world with likable characters." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"The characters are 3-dimensional and realistic, with believable flaws, motivations and goals, doubts and beliefs.." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"A great read for anyone who enjoys extensively built worlds." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"The immense ...more