Whether through their father’s bookshelf, or from Will Smith’s performance on the big screen in I,Robot, nearly everyone in the tech industry is aware of the fictional future in which we artificially create a sentient being that eventually wants to be out from under our thumb, and violently strives for freedom.
My introduction to this idea was in fact the 2004 thriller I,Robot. As I child, I was both terrified and fascinated of the unlimited possibilities surrounding a completely sentient AI; could mankind ensure it wouldn’t wish for it’s own, unbridled freedom? Would it respect or resent us for bringing it to life? As these questions tumbled around my developing mind, I read every science fiction book I could get my hands on, from Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep to the Dune series. Finally, I settled down with the works of the man who originally nutured these ideas within me: Isaac Asimov. His books surrounding the Robot series and the Three Laws for such beings have enticed me to this day.
When computer science was first offered at my high school, I was through the roof. Finally I would be able to further my interests in the subject I had long sought after, as I was not savy enough to search out any other programs previous to this class. Since then, I have been able to translate my love for science fiction into Artificial Intelligence as my main career motivation.
Each and every semester I spend here in college gives me more motivation to continue in this field. Despite the hard work, long hours and grueling schedule, I can always look back two years ago, one year, one month, even one week and see how far I’ve come. The best aspect is knowing there will always be more to learn, at each and every level of my academic and professional career due to the nature of computer science. I have never been more excited to see what the future holds.