The story features an ensemble cast of compelling characters but centers on three in particular. First, there’s David Erdogan, a tech firm CEO who’s content to go along with the whims of his AI boss, Big Al, even if it means putting up with blackmail and any other number of dehumanizing attacks on his agency. Then there’s Katie, the morally gray hacker who steals bots’ memories and sells them on the black market; her latest victim is connected to an enormous conspiracy surrounding a major terrorist attack on Silicon Valley, some years before the start of the narrative. This victim is Livingstone1813, an AI academic researcher who studies humans and the dynamics of their relationship to artificial-intelligence technology. His missing memory, which was stolen by Katie, will prove vital to unpacking what’s behind a violent movement to push a constitutional amendment for AI personhood—although there’s clear pushback, as well: “Don’t cede to those who can’t bleed. Vote ‘NO’ to Personhood!” reads some acid-etched graffiti. Donoghue unfolds the narrative via the perspectives of these characters (along with a smattering of others), weaving a complex yet deeply intimate vision of a quickly emerging future in which capitalism and artificial intelligence conspire to rob both humans and bots of any remaining control over their own lives. The SF conceits merge with worldbuilding that’s revealed slowly but inexorably, resulting in what emerges as a memorable entry in the growing genre of AI thrillers. The clearly drawn characters, complex sociopolitical discourse, and, especially, Donoghue’s deep empathetic imagination for both humans and AIs makes the work feel like far more than the sum of its parts. Other novels have played in this high-tech sandbox, to be sure, but few have done so in a way that makes a reader think and care for both people and artificial entities in such strong and equal measure.
