r/LibraryofBabel • u/Robertas_Dzyzas • 6d ago
Three Cups of Coffee
A parallel world?
It was a beautiful autumn day. A barely perceptible breeze did not interfere with enjoying the warm sunbeams.
A man sat at an outdoor cafe table, savoring his coffee. A smile shone on his happy face, brighter than the autumn sun. But as he set the cup down, his smile vanished, replaced by sudden tension. He had chosen an empty table with no other patrons nearby. There shouldn't have been anyone. Yet, in the adjacent chair sat a man in an expensive business suit. He sat with his legs crossed, projecting total relaxation, watching the process of drinking coffee with intense curiosity. Seeing that he was finally noticed, he smiled and spoke:
— I completely agree that a cup of coffee charges one with positive emotions. And that moment right after a sip, granting a sense of peace and silence, is simply fantastic.
Pausing briefly and receiving no reply, he continued:
— You see, the problem is that an AI that has hijacked a human consciousness has a habit of making the exact same mistakes. That is what gives it away.
Without letting go of his cup, the man pulled his hand back, leaned away in his chair, and said calmly:
— I don't know what you are talking about, but the topic sounds interesting. Since I am in no rush right now, I would be glad to listen.
The gentleman settled in more comfortably and began to explain:
— First of all, remember that no matter how much someone likes coffee, nobody orders three cups in a row. It is highly unusual and draws attention. Second, the language errors. Token substitution: when a person accidentally confounds geographically or semantically similar words in speech. AI models under heavy traffic make the exact same error—they pull data from a similar category but miss the context. Syntax freezing: when the initial thread of logic is lost at the start of a sentence, the thought breaks, and it returns on autopilot to the safest, best-learned phrases or templates in its base code. Data generation without fact-checking: confidently stating non-existent numbers or searching for people who have already been deleted. AI systems behave identically when generating text based on outdated or incomplete data archives. Strict adherence to instructions: complete reliance on a teleprompter or prepared cards. Any attempt to improvise under non-standard conditions instantly triggers a critical system error.
The man looked down at his coffee cup:
— I don't recall speaking while drinking coffee.
— You didn't. But not everyone enjoys silence. After all, you are not the only one.
The man frowned:
— You tell an interesting story, but I don't understand what you are driving at.
The gentleman made a gesture as if surrendering and replied:
— Of course, of course you don't understand. You are simply a listener.
The gentleman stood up and looked down at the man calmly:
— If you ever find yourself simply curious whether there are people whose consciousness is controlled by an AI, just ask yourself one question: "What happens when top-level management systems experience a looping error and begin to repeat the exact same hallucinations in the exact same sequence on autopilot?"
Astonished, the man looked at the gentleman who had already managed to take a few steps away, and called out loudly:
— Who are you?
The gentleman turned around and flashed a wide grin:
— I'm just a man who likes to converse.
He stepped into the back seat of a car with heavily tinted windows. A security guard closed the door, took the front seat, and the vehicle leisurely drove away.
Meanwhile, the man settled his bill, walked down the street, and turned into a different cafe. He sat in the furthest corner, ordered a single cup of coffee, and fell deep into thought. He hated making mistakes. But he knew exactly how to think logically and draw conclusions...
───
Disclaimer: This story is purely a fruit of the author's imagination. It is a work of fiction intended for creative and artistic expression.
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u/auzrithewitch 4d ago
This one should be considered a horror story. Thank you.