Artificial Wisdom: the jaw-dropping murder-mystery technothriller

by Thomas R. Weaver

That, of course, was the thing about truth. Those who hid it always believed it was coloured in shades of grey, those who revealed it always saw the black and white.

Now a gaggle of several hundred men and women had gathered with signs proclaiming Tully was a firestarter, a Marxist of all things, and a Trojan horse for the extreme left. The latter amused him. He saw himself more as the extreme centre.

“That still worries a lot of people. But it also worries those with a religious bent who believe humankind should only have one master: God. They believe if an AI becomes too advanced, it will become essentially God-like to us. A new deity to worship and direct us.”

Two knots didn’t make a tapestry, sure, but she knew about patterns.

The truth is not a luxury. It’s not disposable. It’s the bedrock of a civilised society.”

Yes, he decided what the most important truth was. That was the thing about truth, sometimes you had to prioritise it. That was his job. News about minutiae wasn’t news. And yes, he sold it to the public. That was how he made a living. And yes, doing good work elevated his reputation. So why had he felt so attacked?

That was the thing about truth. People tried to dole it out in slices, keeping some back, as if delivering the whole pie would be more damaging. But it always left you chewing away, revelation after revelation, long after a proper meal would have been fully digested.

“I don’t think most people welcome the truth. I think they prefer to be told what to believe instead of discovering it for themselves.”

That was the thing about truth. Sometimes, you only heard the truth you wanted to hear.