# Autonomous - Author: #### Kindle Highlights [[Newitz-Autonomous]] #### Notes: - Deeply enjoyed for its technical accuracy - The world is very well built. - I liked how similar it is to our own current world, unfortunately and for good as well. - The use of technology for war is on point, almost precedent/telling the future, (need to rephrase) - The relationship between Eliasz & Paladin is demonstrated rather fantastically. - The "feelings" that they develop for each other are thought out well. It feels like a work place romance, just between human and Automata. - Questions and perspectives of consciousness, sex & gender are explored quite explicitly yet delicately. - I feel the physical experiences between them was described more human than the "fucking" described between Threezed & Jack. - Eliasz is complexicated and a somewhat understandable/empathetic antagonist. - He is by no means evil, just highly misguided from their upbringing. - This doesn't give them a pass however that context gives you some insight to their state of being. - Having experienced a emotionally stressful event related to bots they've developed an anthropomorphic relationship with Paladin. - Unlike Jack they believe in the law and there are no gray areas, despite having had to deal with those gray areas in their previous lines of work. - So while they have good intentions, they'll only execute them in their self serving ways in the name of the IPC. Essentially just wants to do a good job within the means of the "law", corrupt as it may be. - I absolutely love the causes being rooted in open source and anti-patents. - This is a personal bias considering my background with Linux and other open source technologies. - Despite my personal bias, the book weaves a tale simply incredible in its premise. - If we look at our reality & how the medical system operates, its obvious how supremely flawed it is. - How it serves profits over people, the true reality of capitalistic endeavors. - There is no morally ethically method to manifest wealth in a capitalist system. - The pirating of pharmaceutical products akin to software is masterfully presented. - Considering that in our own world, currently open source powers a significant amount of of technological driven world. - With the capitalist aspect being associated with support and offloading support to specialist organizations. Thought workers. - The good intentions paving the road to hell was done phenomenally as well. Jack is a relatable character, initially naive and after harsh realities are experienced cynical but not completely hopeless or devoid of their humanity. - If anything they are driven to be even more hard edged, pirating pharma in the hopes to do some form of good. - The conscious experience. - Med (Medea) offers a unique and welcomed perspective on what it means to "be". - Raised autonomous since "birth" as an experiment, they are one of my favorite characters. - Unlike similar stories, it's refreshing to see them be a pivotal role vs a deus ex machina. Which they could have easily become. - Their importance isn't directly spelled out for you about Med. Meaning it's kinda being given the whole story, it's kinda difficult to explain but let's try. - Thru the stories of the other characters you can somewhat infer aspects of their stories to Med. That is to say, thru each of the characters we get a whole understanding of Med(?). - Whoa that kinda blows my mind for some reason, let's keep going. - How? If we consider the difference between their given "right" of autonomy vs the indentured state of Threezed, it allows us to consider what does it really mean to be allowed to be actually responsible for oneself. - The similarities between their drive and Jack's for their respective work. While Jack is a reverse engineer, Med is a dedicated biological engineer (check on that again). Both are passionate about why they do what they do. - Programming and the search for purpose or meaning. I feel through the lens of Med's character we're offered a meditation on identifying our purpose or meaning in life. - Med makes it clear, it is their own internal desire to be as they are and not just "programming". It for some reason makes me think of nature vs nurture (revise this thought but keep it for now), to draw back on the comparison between them and Threezed. - Threezed is indentured and taught to be as such. Whereas Med is given a far more stable environment to develop in.