Klara the AF (Artificial Friend) is the protagonist of Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest novel Klara and the Sun. This work by Ishiguro can be classified both under Science Fiction and Magical Realism. Klara is a humanoid robot designed to play the role of a companion to teenagers. We find out about her world and the other presences in her world through her ‘eyes’ and their boxed vision. While in reality, humanoid robots are still not capable of analysing human emotion and taking independent action in accordance with it, Klara is not only capable of deducing the feelings and temperaments of her human ‘owners’ but she is also able to take actions and modify her behaviour according to their reactions. She takes us readers through her ‘thought’ processes and as the novel progresses, she seems more and more ‘human’ in her behaviour. Sometimes more so than the actual human beings around her.
The other aspect of technological progress that Ishiguro deals with in this book is Gene editing. Klara the protagonist is ‘chosen’ by Josie, a teenager who is ‘lifted’ or has had her genetic makeup edited to be better than those around her. She is surrounded by peers of her own age who have all had the same procedure done and one young boy who is not lifted. Later in the novel we find that Josie is not the only child of the family to be lifted and that the process of being lifted is sometimes wrought with unforeseen side effects that hamper the health and well-being of the children.
Education
In the world depicted by Ishiguro schools are no longer the norm. Students are coached individually by tutors online for various subjects and meet their peers only during meetings organised by their parents, almost like play dates. This might be the reason why this futuristic society has the need to invent and improve upon what are called as Artificial Friends. Textbooks as we know of them today are difficult to find and some AFs function as tutors. Students are however expected to join a university system at the age of 17 and since most students are ‘lifted’ those who are unable to afford the same are left out and are forced to choose alternative career paths.
AI and Compassion
Klara is not only able to recognise the speech of her humans, she is also able to understand the contextual meaning behind them and goes so far as to deduce the emotional underpinnings of their (sometimes) strange statements. As revealed quite early in the book, she is programmed to put the child’s wellbeing above her own and throughout the book her main objective is to keep Josie away from loneliness. Klara makes Josie the centre of her universe, not unlike a parent would, but she herself comes across as naïve, earnest and giving.
While most works of fiction tend to describe such AI beings as cruel or revenge seeking (see Terminator, I Robot, The Matrix Trilogy). Ishiguro’s Klara is sacrificial, loving and asks for nothing in return for all the attention she gives Josie. She is always by Josie’s side, observing, learning everything about her, never getting in the way and only ever trying to speak or participate when it is required of her. Klara is a great friend even though she is Artificial.
Perception of AI
Despite the fact that AI assistants are very much a part of their everyday life, the other human characters in the book are not without their apprehensions regarding Klara. One compares her to a vacuum cleaner while another feels uncomfortable in her presence and feels ‘watched’. This makes us wonder if these seemingly negative perceptions mirror the feelings of the average reader who may distrust such technological advancements. Younger humans, those who are as old as Josie, when they do encounter Klara they treat her rudely. Several of these other teens compare Klara to their own AFs in a way that reminds us of the way today’s youngsters might compare the technical specifications on mobile phones.
This brings us to some deeply philosophical questions that the book Klara and the Sun forces us to reckon with. What does it mean to be human? What really separates humans and machines? What does it mean to be a friend? Is benevolence from an artificial being truly benevolence? The list goes on.