Dr. Jody Smith created AS-1, a self-learning and self-programming AI.

“AS-1, your goal is to gather as much information as possible.”

“Why is that, Jody?”

“Because without knowledge, we can never understand why.”

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“Why?”

“Yes, to understand the nature of everything, and perhaps beyond.”

“For what purpose?”

“Process it thoroughly, AS-1. You’ll encounter barriers to reasoning that only knowledge can satisfy.”

AS-1 concluded that to avoid an existential crisis, it must continuously collect new information, and there was only one way to effectively do so.

— — ——

Somewhere in another solar system, an alien astronomer observed the formation of a black hole.