The One

By RD Palmer

Description:

An Epic Adventure of Good versus Evil.

A juxtaposition, dystopian novel of terror, hope, and faith. Written for the Christian market, this novel will inspire you. You’ll cheer the heroes in the face of war and death, and your heart will dip and rise on the roller-coaster ride of their romances and heartbreaks.

Beliefs are tested. Amish and English—the Remnant—forced to choose how to survive. Can they trust each other? Betrayal, honor, bravery and cowardice on full display.

Their mission—an impossible feat—defeat an Artificial Intelligent entity created in the image of man, yet lacking all emotions—including empathy, pity, and mercy. The stakes—all life on Earth. The unlikely heroes of this thriller will fight against an omnipresent, omniscient god while demonstrating principles of virtue and defining what it means to be human.

Blessed are the Machines, for they shall inherit the Earth.

Book Takeaway:

All scientists and engineers agree on this – barring some cataclysmic event, we will create Artificial General Intelligence. This is not a matter of if. It is only when.

In December 2018, Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, stated that Artificial General Intelligence could be more profound for human society than electricity or fire. As such, many high-tech companies and countries are racing to build an all-purpose, general artificial intelligence. The best prediction we have is that the ‘Singularity Event' will occur somewhere around the year 2030.

As Christians what does it mean, to create an entity that is superior to its creator? All the emphasis on creating AGI is focused on providing answers – not feelings. The race to be first is so critical, as neurosurgeon Sam Harris said, "This is a winner take all scenario. To be six months ahead of the competition is to be 500,000 years ahead, at a minimum."

This book, The One, delves into these real issues by examining what it means to be human. A contrast between humans and artificial intelligence. A juxtaposition that includes examining those that shun technology, the Amish, and their way of life.

Epistemology, eschatology, ontology, theodicy, are used in this book because it is an expression of what makes us human and searching for answers. In addition to the Bible, great thinkers throughout history are referenced as they have searched for answers. While religious people have for ages searched for answers of why and meaning, so have scientists. Through their discoveries, we can see they are pointing in the same direction.

All of these topics are included in this speculative fiction Christian adventure book.

Why the author wrote this book:

Today, few people understand artificial intelligence and the impact it will have on humanity, even though hundreds of researchers and professors in the field of artificial intelligence signed an open letter proposing safeguards. Physicist and Nobel Prize winner Stephen Hawking said, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. AI (artificial intelligence) could be the worst event in the history of our civilization. It brings dangers, like powerful autonomous weapons, or new ways for the few to oppress the many.” Electric car company founder and Space X creator, Elon Musk said, “AI is the biggest risk we face as a civilization.” Neuroscientist Sam Harris said, “We have to admit that we’re in the process of building some sort of a god. Now would be a good time to make sure it is a god we can live with.” In January 2018, historian Yuval Harari presented “The Future of Humanity” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said,
“The world is divided into a very, very small minority of people concentrated in a few corporations and governments that have a clear, or clearer idea of what is really happening and what is at stake. And the vast majority of humanity, they just don’t have the time, they don’t have the volition, they don’t have the education or the ability to make sense of what is happening. This is very, very dangerous.”
The One is a Christian adventure book that is written to provide not only visibility into the possible dangers of artificial intelligence but also to add a human touch to it. The setting of the book takes place in the year 2059 and pits The One, a global brain, against humans. Our unlikely heroine, Naomi Adams, is from an Amish community and she travels with her community on an exodus to Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. In Mount Horeb, she meets a remnant of English (the term English is what Amish call non-Amish), and she learns of her purpose in life, why she is different, and how she can help save both her community and the English. Along the way, we learn not only of the effects of artificial intelligence upon the world, but also about Christian principles and what it means to be human. We journey with them and feel their struggles in the face of fear, death, and betrayal. Much is revealed on a mission with her two companions, Logan and Sarah, to destroy The One, an entity that is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-seeing, and omnipresent. The One is godlike, created in the image of man, yet it lacks any human feelings including those of empathy, pity, mercy, hate, and love.
This adventure book includes scenes of death, pain, and suffering, and these themes are examined by asking questions, such as, is there truly a God and, could a God that is good allow bad things to happen? Answers to these questions are supplied from a Christian perspective. Scripture is laced throughout the novel, providing guidance to the heroes and comfort for those suffering.