Malfunction Stories

The early 2020s saw an explosion in the field of artificial intelligence with the release of the first large language models to the public. These models were crude, power-hungry, and slow. More than that, the way they handled information wasn’t remotely human, as they relied on statistical patterns rather than true comprehension of language and context. They didn’t really think. They didn’t really understand. They couldn'...

It was 9:25 on Thursday morning. I was in an elevator with eight other people on my way to the eleventh floor for a job interview. I’d been looking for a job ever since graduating third in my class with a bachelor of business, and even six months prior to that. I was hoping for an entry-level position with any sort of professional firm. All my professors had told me that I shouldn't have any difficulty in finding a job. S...