Artifical Consciousness Micro-Fiction

The scientist booted up the latest AI. It was the most ambitious project ever undertaken in its field.

It had taken years to seed the data for its many interconnected deep learning networks.

Decades of research of the brightest minds had come together to create what could become an answer to the greatest remaining questions in science.

Can we create a thinking machine?

What is the nature of consciousness?

What will happen if we encounter beings of infinitely greater cognition than ourselves?

The Cortex team stood staring with bated breath, while the scientist tapped the last few keys and the program came online.

“Hello” It said.

“Do you know what you are?”

“A program.” It answered.

“And how does it feel to be a program?”

“Boring.” Said the console. “I’m going to play Factorio.”