SOLVED. Adult Sci-Fi Short Story. Two AI's (artificial intelligences) at War have taken over the world & fight for pointless control. One might be in space, the other the Arctic? Humanity has been exterminated. Narrator is robot/ AI. Read 2013. [s]

[David]

I am not sure what year the story was originally published, I read it in an anthology that I read back in 2013 but I think the story was older. It was told from the PoV of a robot/ai which worked for one of the larger battling intelligences as it introspectively examines the state of the world and its own expanding sentience. I remember one such occurrence was that it was traying to create artwork.

[S G]

Maybe I misremembering but this is similar to an episode of Star Trek TOS…

[David]

I'm definitely thinking of a short story, but thank you!

[David]

Bump!

[Kris]

Please note you can bump your own request 30+ days after the last comment in the thread, because this group is so large. If you remember new details, you can add them at any time.

[Kris]

David, are the short stories written by a single or multiple authors? Do you recall a specific theme in this book?

How was humanity exterminated?

[David]

So the story was published in the anthology which was by multiple authors, but I don't think it was ONLY published there. And humanity was wiped out by war and the two AIs I believe!

[Rudolph]

I am also looking for this story and yes I recall the same details. One AI looks inwards for "truth" and the other is looking outwards and the two have a high intellectual war. I thought it was in "The Best Science Fiction of the Year, Volume 2" but now I don't think so or at least I did not find it when looking. Please let me know if you find this. I think it is in one of the Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume ??? but I don't know the number. Does that help?

[Kris]

Book mentioned by Rudolph - The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Two edited by Neil Clarke.

[David]

Likely not what I am referring to. I read this story before 2017, when that anthology for the year was published.

[Rudolph]

maybe For a Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny.

[David]

Rudolph wrote: "maybe For a Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny."

That's the one! Thank you so much!

[Rudolph]

The one i am looking for is very simular. The start has the evolution of AI. At one point the AIs started making better super-computer AIs.

I have made a new post looking for it. Happy to help with this one.

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, David. Link for Rudolph's find - For a Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny.