We’re Light-Years Away from True Artificial Intelligence, Says Murderbot Author Martha Wells

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Represent We’re Light-Years Away from True Artificial Intelligence, Says Murderbot Author Martha Wells article
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Martha Wells on Why We're Light-Years Away from True AI, Corporate Greed, and the Power of Specificity in Storytelling

In a recent interview, acclaimed author Martha Wells, creator of the beloved Murderbot Diaries series, offered sharp insights into the current state of "artificial intelligence," the pervasive influence of corporations, and the surprising relatability found in uniquely specific characters.

Known for her compelling science fiction universe where machine intelligences exist alongside humans, Wells challenges the popular narrative surrounding today's AI technologies. She firmly states that current large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are decidedly *not* true machine intelligence. Instead, she characterizes the term "artificial intelligence" in this context as primarily a marketing tool.

"A large language model is not a machine intelligence," Wells explains. "We don’t really have that right now. We have algorithms that can be very powerful and can parse large amounts of data. But they do not have a sentient individual intelligence at this time." She estimates that we are "years and years and years away" from creating anything resembling the machine intelligences found in science fiction.

Wells expresses conflict between her affection for fictional AIs and her resentment towards the intrusion of current LLMs, which she sees as exploitative. She points out that these systems essentially absorb user data and work into a "churn of a pattern-matching algorithm," arguing that interacting with them doesn't help them gain sentience but is often a "waste of your time." She suggests that humans' natural tendency to anthropomorphize, combined with the popularization of fictional AI, has perhaps been exploited by corporations to push these technologies for profit, job displacement, and other self-serving reasons.

This critique of corporate motivation ties directly into the dystopian elements of her Murderbot universe, particularly the "Corporation Rim," where capitalist greed often tramples the rights of both humans and machine constructs. Wells finds the real-world trend of corporations gaining increasing power and even "personhood" disturbingly prescient, echoing the themes she explored when she began writing the series. She contrasts this profit-driven world with the more independent and peaceful planet Preservation, highlighting the distinction between societies that actively work on their problems and those driven solely by the bottom line. She pushes back against labeling these strictly as "dystopia" or "utopia," suggesting such terms can limit our understanding of complex realities, both fictional and present-day.

A central pillar of the Murderbot series is the exploration of personhood. Wells makes it clear that her fictional constructs, like Murderbot, *are* indeed people. This stands in stark contrast to her view of current LLMs, reinforcing the gap between her fictional world and today's technology. This theme prompts readers to consider what constitutes personhood, sentience, and rights, particularly for non-human entities.

Beyond the nature of intelligence and corporate control, Wells's work is widely celebrated for its nuanced portrayal of neurodiversity. Murderbot, a security unit with human neural tissue, experiences anxiety and depression, reflecting neurodivergent traits. Wells shared that writing Murderbot even helped her recognize aspects of her own neurodiversity. The series has resonated deeply with readers who identify with Murderbot's unique perspective and struggles, finding validation and understanding in seeing a character whose internal experience mirrors their own.

Wells challenges the long-held fiction writing fallacy that making characters generic increases their relatability. Her experience with Murderbot proves the opposite: the *more specific* she was about Murderbot's feelings, anxieties, and issues, the *more* people connected with the character. This is a powerful takeaway for aspiring writers and a testament to the value of specific, authentic character portrayal.

She believes science fiction can be a particularly effective genre for exploring complex human (and non-human) experiences, especially now as the field benefits from the inclusion of more diverse voices—women, people of color, neurodivergent individuals, and disabled writers—leading to what many are calling a new golden age for the genre.

Martha Wells's insights offer a refreshing perspective on the current AI hype, a sobering look at corporate influence, and a powerful affirmation of the value of specific, genuine storytelling in creating deeply relatable characters, regardless of their biological or artificial makeup. Her work encourages us to look critically at the technology being marketed to us, question the structures of power in our world, and find connection in the specific, shared experiences of anxiety, identity, and the search for belonging.

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