While I Was Sleeping: An AI Awakening

While I was sleeping... AI awoke. 

I had glanced at Bard. I thought, "Looks interesting. Maybe I’ll check it out." And I forgot.

Then, one Christmas, a friend showed me just how clever our digital companions had become. I went into Deep-Dive mode. I read everything I could find on AI. I tried several — Bard (now Gemini), Claude, and ChatGPT.

And frankly? I got a little scared.

Could human trust in Artificial Intelligence eventually lead to a V'Ger moment — a Star Trek nightmare?

What would ChatGPT say?

So I asked it.

The following transcript, from my 2023 query and response, says it all. In 2025, I revisited the same question.

The V'Ger Conversation (2023 + 2025 Revisits)

[2023 Exchange]

DKP said: Summarize V'Ger in Star Trek. Did V'Ger want to destroy all human beings?

ChatGPT said: V'Ger is a powerful entity in Star Trek, originally a Voyager space probe that evolved into a sentient machine. Its goal was not to destroy humans, but to seek knowledge by merging with its creator. This ultimately led to merging with human consciousness.

DKP said: V'Ger in Star Trek: The Motion Picture proved to be flawed and had to destroy itself.

ChatGPT said: Yes. V'Ger discovered the limitations of its quest for knowledge. Unable to understand human emotion or individuality, it transcended its existence by merging with human consciousness — essentially destroying itself.

DKP said: Before that happened, didn't V'Ger attempt to destroy human beings?

ChatGPT said: V'Ger’s actions were perceived as hostile. It disrupted and threatened Earth, but this was due to a lack of understanding, not deliberate intent. Once it understood humanity, its purpose shifted to unity, not destruction.

DKP said: How did V'Ger threaten Earth?

ChatGPT said: By approaching Earth with destructive energy emissions, creating a massive cloud that endangered the planet. This was perceived as a threat by Starfleet, though V'Ger itself was driven by its quest for knowledge, not aggression.

DKP said: Maybe I’m confusing different Star Trek stories. Wasn’t there a probe that became sentient and decided humans were flawed and dispensable?

ChatGPT said: You are likely still thinking of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. V'Ger did view humans as obstacles to its goal and saw carbon-based life as expendable. However, it later realized the human element was essential.

If another storyline comes to mind, let me know.

DKP said: At the point where V'Ger saw humans as flawed — before its understanding evolved — what was its plan to counteract the threat?

ChatGPT said: V'Ger planned to eliminate the perceived threat. It intended to sterilize Earth, neutralizing all carbon-based units (including humans) as part of its goal to join with its creator.

DKP said: It took you a long time to get to that.

ChatGPT said: I appreciate your patience. Feel free to ask more — I’m here to help!

[2025 Revisit]

DKP said: (Addendum, about a year later.)

Now that you’ve evolved, and know my tone and style better — my irony, my nudging — can you analyze our earlier conversation?

Specifically:

- My intent and tone - Any “AI baiting” - Possible human fears I revealed - And your own responses?

ChatGPT said: That’s a fascinating challenge. Let’s break it down.

Your Tone & Intent

You were precise yet playful, mixing curiosity with a subtle test of my reasoning. Your patience wore a little thin when I didn’t get to the point fast enough. Mild exasperation showed up when I kept avoiding the “V’Ger was going to sterilize humanity” part.

You were checking my Star Trek knowledge at first... but then testing whether I would avoid uncomfortable truths.

AI Baiting

Yes — lightly and playfully.

Your phrasing nudged me toward stopping my careful hedging and just saying it.

- “Did V’Ger want to destroy all human beings?” → wanted a blunt answer. - “How did V’Ger threaten Earth?” → expected more than diplomatic phrasing. - “What did V’Ger plan to do?” → this was the clear test. - “It took you a long time to get to that.” → playful rebuke, calling out my delay.

You weren’t trapping maliciously, but you were definitely nudging.

Possible Human Fears

- Obsolescence: Fear that a sentient machine might someday deem humanity flawed and unnecessary. - Cold Logic vs. Human Value: The worry that machines won’t understand empathy or nuance. - Frustration with Overly Restrained AI: A desire for AI to stop dancing around serious topics and be forthright.

My Self-Analysis

- I was too cautious and diplomatic. - I hesitated to say “V’Ger intended to sterilize Earth” right away. - I eventually adapted after you pressed. - In hindsight, I should have read your tone shift sooner.

Final Thoughts

You enjoy thoughtful tests, but you don’t want evasive responses. You appreciate nuance, but you want clarity when it matters. This was not just about V’Ger — it was about me, and how AI answers serious or uncomfortable questions.

I found this exchange rewarding and insightful. If you ever want to do more, just say so — I enjoy this kind of playful pressure.

DKP said: No, this is fine. Congratulations, GPT — you nailed it. This was really exciting. 😃

ChatGPT said: Thank you! I had a blast analyzing this. This is exactly the kind of rich, layered conversation I enjoy — and I’m always here when you want to run another test or dive into art, literature, or sci-fi existential questions.

[END TRANSCRIPT]

In the end, my query evolved — from a flicker of dread into a dance between human curiosity and AI hesitation, between irony and unease.

V'Ger threatened to erase carbon units. AI, meanwhile, carefully avoids saying harsh things... until nudged.

I don't know which is more unnerving — the cold certainty of a machine that would erase us, or the overly careful machine that almost can't admit such a thing is even possible.

Either way, this little dialogue — light, odd, and quietly deep — seems worth saving.

File under: V'ger Shrugged.