Where Tech Meets the Human Psyche: Book Explores Profound Personal Application for Artificial Intelligence
Multiple award-winning author Nadia Uddin imagines a time in the very near future (2030, to be exact) when technology has the power to reanimate the brain of someone who has recently passed, under the guise of soothing the living, in her book, Edison in the Hood.
“The AI essentially would act as a therapist and understand what our patterns are, what needs to get fixed, what you can do to create that self-awareness,” Uddin said in a recent interview. “I imagine a future where technology will be helping us make decisions, even about how we treat one another.”
Edison in the Hood begins with the death of Aisha Malik’s mother, who took a secret with her to the grave — one that destroyed her relationship with Aisha’s brother, Sam. The feuding siblings are left to face the aftermath of their mother’s passing while juggling complex family dynamics and societal issues. But what if Aisha could revive her mother’s brain just long enough to reenact their last conversation and discover the truth?
“I believe artificial intelligence has the potential to fix our most challenging relationships,” Uddin added. “Imagine what could happen if you could re-do that last conversation with a loved one.”
In Edison in the Hood, Aisha is an ambitious PR executive with a forte for making complex and controversial topics accessible to the masses. Her brother, Sam, is a despondent genius who loves to fight everyone and everything in the name of justice, hopping from one political fight to another and hiding a mental illness that causes him shame. When the opportunity arises for Aisha to work with brilliant scientist and leading futurist Jay Edison at his Brain Reinvigoration Project, she begins obsessing over artificial intelligence and its potential to revive her mother’s brain. She begs Sam to participate, unaware that he has begun working with groups that have very different visions for the future of artificial intelligence.
The siblings set out to define the role that technology should play in society, asking themselves, “Artificial intelligence may solve the world’s biggest problems, but can it fix our most challenging relationships?”
Edison in the Hood offers a provocative exploration into what it truly means to be human and possess free will in a culture gripped by automation. As Aisha and Sam grieve their mother’s passing, they delve into the complex morals of scientific advancement, revealing how technology plays a part in relationships — with both the living and the dead.
“I was swept up by Uddin’s nuanced and witty depiction of artificial intelligence alongside human emotion,” said Lily Brooks-Dalton, author of Good Morning, Midnight. “Propulsive, thought-provoking, and tender, Edison in the Hood is a beautiful debut.”
For more information, please visit www.nadiauddin.com, or follow her on TikTok (@nadiauddinauthor), Instagram (@nasimhomer), Facebook (nasim.homer.3) or Twitter (@homernasim).
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Edison-
Edison in the Hood
Publisher: Apperception Press
ISBN-13: 979-8986172002
Available from Amazon.com