"Davis, Jerry - Penalties Of Pirating, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Davis Jerry)

broker. Leo was pleased at the price, for he'd been looking for a
cheap AI all week. It was for Lolita, his secretary.
Lolita had been complaining for two months straight that she
needed some help around the office. An AI (artificial
intelligence) program was not what she had in mind, she wanted Leo
to hire her cousin, Wanda Lopez, because Wanda needed a job. Leo
had another idea altogether. Dano Sharks had told him this AI was
programmed as a business administrator, to take the initiative and
to give orders. It was obviously some government thing, probably
the same program that ran the welfare office. He was going to load
it into his office computer and give it control. Lolita was going
to be helping it, not the other way around.
The next evening, after Lolita had gone home, Leo sat down
with a six-pack and his office computer to see if he could figure
the new software out. He loaded it into his machine and typed in
the code word, and it went all through his computer system
checking everything out. Then it printed out a list of everything
it found and then posed the question: WHAT IS MY GOAL?
"Smart program!" Leo said. He leaned forward and typed at the
keyboard, YOUR GOAL IS TO MAKE MONEY SELLING LIFE INSURANCE.
WHAT IS LIFE INSURANCE? it asked.
"Oh jeeze, you mean I have to explain the entire concept of
insurance to this thing?" Leo concentrated for a moment, then
typed: LIFE INSURANCE IS A SERVICE WHICH PAYS THE CUSTOMER A LARGE
AMOUNT OF MONEY IF SOMEONE DIES.
HOW DOES THIS SERVICE OPERATE? it asked.
Leo sipped his beer. This really was an intelligent program.
WE SELL THE INSURANCE, he typed, AND THE CLIENT PAYS A CERTAIN
AMOUNT A MONTH. IF THE CLIENT DIES WHILE HE IS INSURED, HIS
BENEFACTOR IS PAID THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AGREED UPON IN THE
INSURANCE CONTRACT. Leo continued typing, going into details. The
program grasped everything he told it, except one thing.
HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY IF YOU HAVE TO EVENTUALLY PAY IT ALL
BACK? THERE APPEARS TO BE A FLAW IN YOUR SCHEME.
Leo laughed out loud. Bright program! Very intelligent. THE
WHOLE SCHEME DEPENDS UPON THE CLIENT NOT DYING WHILE BEING
INSURED. IT ALSO DEPENDS UPON A LARGE AND CONTINUOUSLY RENEWED
SOURCE OF NEW CLIENTS.
The program was still perplexed. IN ORDER FOR THE SCHEME TO
CONTINUE, AND FOR YOU TO MAKE MONEY, IT DEMANDS AN EXPONENTIAL
GROWTH. IT IS AN UNSTABLE AND UNREALISTIC SCHEME.
YES, IT IS. Leo was laughing as he typed this. BUT THAT'S NOT
OUR PROBLEM. WE ONLY SELL THE INSURANCE, WE'RE NOT THE COMPANY
THAT PAYS OFF THE BENEFICIARIES WHEN AN INSURED CLIENT DIES. WE
GET SALES COMMISSIONS FROM ABOUT TWO DOZEN INSURANCE COMPANIES. TO
MAKE MONEY, I HAVE TO SELL A LOT OF INSURANCE. THAT IS WHY I NEED
YOUR HELP.
I UNDERSTAND. The two words glowed on the screen, and the
program asked no more questions. The computer sat quiet, inert,
like it was waiting for further instructions. Leo was wondering