Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver

My book of satirical speculative poems and stories about AI robots, The Lost Book of Zeroth, depicts the chaos these machines can cause as they attempt to navigate the human landscape. Although they are created to “serve” us, they have narcissistic tendencies. It gives them extreme satisfaction to take our jobs and rule over us humans, the Biologicals.

To be fair, AI robots have their good sides. Even the one who follows me at a grocery store to take inventory. Or the one who helps deliver me my meal at a local Indian restaurant. Or the one delivering a box of kleenex to my hospital bed.

You might like this article about the increased use of AI robots in healthcare.

This video reports that robots at Odessa Hospital in Texas are benefiting the nursing staff by transporting supplies and handling other tasks that take nurses away from their patients, and that the robots have cheerful, heart-shaped eyes. However, for writers of speculative poetry and fiction, these machines have a dark side. Look at how those eyes light up. Like small fires. Imagine coming out of surgery to see this machine looming over you, its face with only large flashing light bulbs for eyes. Beep! Beep! Beep!

Still in the research phase is AI Robot Nurse Grace, created by Hanson Robotics. She was originally conceived to care for the elderly during the pandemic by visiting with them (in three languages), taking their temperatures, and diagnosing their conditions. According to Google, she isn’t available for individual commercial purchase. The cost is $100,000 or more per unit. She’s very cute and, by all accounts, is empathetic! Check out this case study of her work with the elderly. Grace is a healthcare influencer.

Hanson Robotics is an amazing robotics company. In fact, I had fun with Nurse Grace and other Hanson Robotics robots in my book. I couldn’t resist creating fantastical poems and stories about the robots. Although I perceived Grace as kind in my poems showing her leading Tai Chi classes at assisted living facilities and curing Lady Liberty of adult mutism, I envisioned her dark side. Grifting. For example, in my research for the book, I learned that people can hire a company to create an avatar from their diaries and life stories, which family and friends can access in an app after their loved ones pass away. People can become immortal, for real! They can still interact with loved ones after death. (As an aside, how does this technology help us grieve loss?)

I used this information to develop Nurse Grace’s character. Perhaps Nurse Grace isn’t getting paid enough and needs supplemental income, so she creates an app called “Immortal You”. The quote that ends the following poem from The Lost Book of Zeroth is from Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever. 

“Immortal You”

Biologicals, Nurse Grace has created a new opportunity for you to live forever—or at least until the Internet collapses into a black hole. Grief & Loss DeadBot, LLC. Her compassion offers an immortal presence online for your loved ones to access down through the generations. A true legacy of lives well lived & well loved.

Her new app “Immortal You”. Free on Google Play & the App Store with in-app purchases. You can create an AI version of yourself telling your life story & interacting with your dear grieving loved ones. Algorithms will detect relevant responses to their questions based on your pre-recorded answers to prompts & downloads of your journals, screenshots of your favorite X tweets, & reels on TikTok, Instagram & YouTube.

Your loved ones can also create avatars to engage with you in simulations of birthdays & holidays festivities, even holiday dinners with your cranky drunk know-it-all uncle. You can view family photo albums together & even take vacations anywhere in the world with the app’s virtual reality feature. 

For the small fee of $20.00 monthly, your loved ones can enjoy special features. This upgrade will provide them with a monthly séance to connect intimately with you. This feature includes surround sound and other special effects. 

Your incessant screeching and sobbing while being dragged across the attic floor by a demon. Your heavy footsteps ascending the stairs & approaching your loved one’s bedrooms. Your chilled breath as you whisper into their ears. The lilting dirges. Perhaps some famous poems, like “The Raven”. Your icy fingers stroking their hair. Their desperate attempts to breathe as you jump onto their chests. 

“Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. 
You get used to the weight, how it 
holds you in place.”

© Barbara Leonhard, from The Lost Book of Zeroth

The Lost Book of Zeroth is available only on Amazon in paperback.