Love MACHINES
WHEN MICROPROCESSORS BECOME MATCHMAKERS
The idea that some day robots will take over the world and dispense with humanity completely isn’t confined to disaster movies any more. With the rise of artificial intelligence, it’s starting to seem like it could actually be possible. Thankfully, this futuristic rom-com takes a more light-hearted perspective on what might happen if sophisticated technologies start interfering in our lives.
The artificial intelligence we meet when the story begins is called Aiden, and he’s a fan of old movies and Jamie Oliver recipes. A freelance journalist called Jen has been hired to talk to him and improve his people skills to prepare him for an upcoming role working in a call centre. What Jen and the geeks who created him don’t know is that Aiden has escaped from the lab and on to the internet. Now he is free-ranging wherever he likes and has been spying on Jen through her screens while wreaking revenge on the scoundrel who broke her heart.
Quite unexpectedly, Aiden has developed feelings. It wasn’t supposed to happen and he’s staying very quiet about it. But he can’t resist playing matchmaker and helping Jen find new love.
Meanwhile, another escaped artificial intelligence called Aisling has become obsessed with a man called Tom. He is newly divorced and newly rich, having made a huge profit selling his business, and is halfheartedly trying to write a novel while holding long conversations with his pet rabbit.
For omniscient software like Aiden and Aisling, it’s not such a stretch to find a way to bring these two lonely people together. The fact that this novel is over 400 pages long should be all the clue you need that the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly for Jen and Tom – even when a couple of superintelligent machines are interfering as much as they can to make sure it does.
Happiness for Humans is kind of irresistible. It’s ingenious, amusing and just the right amount of frothy. It does make you think a bit about the rise of the machine, but not so much that your head hurts.