System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

by Martha Wells

Because privacy is just a hypothetical concept to ART, it broke in

On our private feed, ART-drone said, If you open that hatch now I will turn this thing around and go home.

I pulled one out and said, “I knew that.” I did not know that.

You’re stalling, ART-drone said. I am not. I can stand here and be useless without any ulterior motives, thanks.

Did I understand how it processed its emotions? No. But I don’t understand how I process my emotions, either.

Your attempts at emotional manipulation need work. But your point is taken.

It sent, ID: PSUMNT added to ContactBase. I guess machine intelligences of that era were too polite to say “that sounds fake but okay.”

Because it likes to win and it won’t shut up until it does, Tarik said. Tarik has an issue with projecting his emotions onto others, ART-drone said.

ART said, I don’t hate anything. I am discerning in my company. My judgment in this area is impeccable. It keeps pinging me, I said. Don’t answer it, ART said. It’s doing it to annoy me.