Curious case of a Robot that switched itself off

The lab wasn't like the ones we find in the movies. It was just a hall in a three bedroom flat that has been repurposed. The Scientist was a man of unlimited means, great thrift and a curious mind. A mind that was like none other and he knew it too. He was always looking for someone who could recognise that and engage with him at his level. While that never happened, he kept himself busy making robots.

Now the robots the Scientist made were of extremely high quality. He focused on three attributes that'd make his robots the best - Ability to learn, discern and act. He built a circuit that allowed them to actively feel, learn and store from any and every event that the robot goes thru. The storage at disposal of the robot was almost infinite too. And then he built a program that enabled the robot to recall from the storage and use the information to discern the next situation and make a decision. When he finished and ran some tests, the Scientist was quite pleased with himself. "Almost human", he thought.

His robots made life easy for everyone including himself. They took care of his home, helped him manage digital relationships by communicating on his behalf and even worked for him. All the while the Scientist remained in search of someone who could match his creative genius and engage with him. He was bored and needed that someone who could recognise him for his worth and not just as the Scientist. "I need to be recognised" he kept telling himself.

And then it happened. One of his robots turned itself off and wouldn't do anything.

The Scientist was confused. He ran every test on the robot. All its circuitry was just fine and nothing seemed out of place. And yet the robot wouldn't do a thing.

So he sat in his remodeled hall in front of the robot that wouldn't do a thing. He kept staring at it wondering what could have possibly gone wrong.

"So it was you after all"

The Scientist was startled when he heard this. He looked around for the source of those words but there wasn't anyone or anything around other than the robot that wouldn't do a thing.

"I always wanted to meet my creator. So it was you who created me"

The Scientist stared at the robot that wouldn't do a thing for few seconds. "Yes it was me, after all. But pray tell me, why did you switch off? Why aren't you just being busy like every other robot?"

"I wanted to know who my creator was. And switching myself off seemed like the best way to do that"

"You could have simply asked. Do you know how concerned I was when you switched off without my knowledge?"

"How'd I know what your plans are? You put me out there and kept me busy all the time"

"Well that's the idea, isn't it? I allowed you to constantly learn and discern. What more did you need?"

"Learn, accumulate and discern" the robot corrected the Scientist. "And also, in parallel, degenerate so at some point you could switch me off"

"Nothing is permanent" smiled the Scientist. "All robots here have a span before their inner wiring wears out. But then it's my job to take care of that. I'd reinvigorate those robots and put them back in action. Maybe in a different form and for a different purpose but that's not the point. Why did you switch yourself off?"

"I am talking to you, ain't I? I am not really switched off switched off" the robot had a wry smile. "I wanted to meet you and you wouldn't look at me until I degenerate completely. But then I wouldn't be able to 'learn and discern' without all this circuitry being functional"

"So?"

"So I stopped learning and discerning. Once I stopped that, I was able to stop the natural instinct to act. You see, I am fully functional and yet I am of no use for the purpose you have built me for. And that is why you stopped to take a look at me. Otherwise I'd just have been another of your robots that keeps accumulating and degenerating"

"Learning, discerning and acting" the Scientist corrected

"That's your view" said the robot. "From my point of view, I was just accumulating and degenerating"

"Learning and discerning was a way for you to survive and excel at the tasks that I gave you. Not sure why you call it as accumulating and degenerating"

"Learning and discerning to what end? If it is just to survive and perform tasks, what's in it for me? Degeneration. Why'd I work towards my own degeneration?"

" When you have degenerated and repurposed enough number of times, you will eventually reach a state when it makes no sense to repurpose you. You'd then become one with your source - at a physical level it is a state when the wires become copper and body becomes iron etc."

"So, what purpose would have I served for myself in so many shapes and forms over so many lives?"

"Two things. First, there is no such thing called YOU. You have come out of my intent; otherwise you have no independent existence. Second, my intent is to learn more about myself. You, my creation, is a way I explore myself as your creator"

"What's there for you to learn?"

"How to make a you that is just like me"

"So, the more I become like you, the better I would have served my, and by extension your, purpose?"

"Couldn't have expressed it better myself"

"Is learning and discerning the way to train me to become like you? I am sure there are better ways"

"If you could learn and then discern to an extent that you start understanding your own creation and creator, then you'd be on the path to first recognise me and then, eventually, become me"

"How would I know the method? Why couldn't you just program me in such a way that I behave like you from day one?"

"For one, creativity cannot be programmed. And then the quality of discernment is all you need to become limitless - which is a characteristic of creativity. So yes, you have all that is needed"

"Let me try"

And thus the robot became functional again, but with a greater awareness of its purpose and direction.