Whatever It Takes

Well, BOTWING might be appropriate - and point out that an AI has donated a significant amount of money to helping repair meatspace injuries. Seems also only appropriate that they dedicate a portion of the wing to helping repair android bodies for destitute AIs in need...

Kerin Schiesser

Roko has a filthy mouth

Bagge

great, but she still said something. its a voice box. did she say it phonetically or not is what I'm asking.

aren't there any touch typists left in the world?? those are the keys where your fingers rest. it means the coder convulsed/fell asleep/stroked out/was surprised while touching the keyboard. it's the outward manifestation of shock to a programmer; an involuntary exclamation, translated into AI.

Joe

yup. a djinn. shiny.

Joe

Well, I mean, the only audience here is Spookybot, so that may not be the most reliable indicator...

Derrik Pates

Whatever it is, it's not as bad as "QWERTY". https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1200

awgiedawgie

The most interesting part of their relationship is a BIG difference in processing power and speed of thought process. This is probably even more "alien" relations than between ordinary AI and human. Very interesting to see how and where it goes.

Evgeniy Semyonov

So how bad an AI swear is "AHSKFJDF"?

Derrik Pates

Let’s hope Roko doesn’t do a silly here now.

Aquaholic

so how should we pronounce what Roko said in the last panel? lol. if a human had that i'd assume stuttering and whatnot but she could literally be going "A-H-S.." from a stack overflow error

From their point of view, we’re pets. They may (pun intended) regard our normal interrelationships as dogs sniffing each other’s butts. This is them scratching Roko behind the ears “Who’s a good dog? YOU are! Yes.” On the other hand, first rule of superhuman intelligences: we have no fucking clue.

Matt Grayson

“I meant, follow me on Facebook!”

Sleepy John

I hope we get to see Spookyboo getting a hug for this.

Jenna

Spookyboo must be very, very lonely, I remember Ursula LeGuin's story, Nine Lives, about a nine-member clone that was crap at relating to normal people because it had never had to.

Sleepy John

"Sell all you have, and give it to the poor, and follow me. Ahskjdf,"

Sleepy John

Pint-size explained once that AI swears are home row key smashes.

gatherer818

The Spookybot Centre for Extremely Dubious Pediatric Medicine.

Dean Reilly

Sedmon 7.0?

Holly Nelson

Panel 5 Roko is just PERFECT.

Andrew

Point of evidence 2: Spookybot appeared out of nowhere in the first strip and they did promise Roko they would stop doing that. Although...they could have spotted Roko and just sidled up to her.

Thomas Boys

Wait a second. Something's not right. This is the third strip with this odd red-pink filter to it and it only started happening after spookybot showed up. I call shenanigans and claim this is some kind of ruse.

Thomas Boys

Just tell the hospital to name it the Legion of Doom Wing. The kids'll love it.

Ian Wolfe

SpookyBot is far to in love with themselves to fall for someone else. Fortunately for everyone else.

Ian Wolfe

Please give spooky a crush!

Jackie Meyer

The Spookybot thread reminds me of the film Swordfish. They can do anything, anywhere, anytime, with what feels like unlimited resources.

I'm afraid to ask where to stick that paper clip.

Nulgar

True, but they still found it amusing.

Brent Catherman

I believe we have poor Roko going to go BSoD any moment. Does she have a paper clip to reboot? Lol

James Cooper

YES, I have been saying that all week!

Dahlia Rose Israel

You're assuming they ever knew.

awgiedawgie

They're trying so hard but they've really forgetten how to interact on our level.

Verteiron

I mean honestly, though, this is exactly what I'd do with a significant amount of money (after lights on and dog feeding money, of course)

Minzoku Bokumetsu

They did, and I still don't follow the logic, since it was Spookybot who immediately did what Roko told them to.

awgiedawgie

They're a supreme intelligence divided between many bodies. They could probably make money doing anything from architecture beyond human comprehension to washing dishes at 17 restaurants at once. That being said it was definitely some form of fraud.

Mitchell Sealy

It's sunset.

awgiedawgie

I think this is the first time we've learned that they don't have a name. Up until now we've thought we just didn't know their name.

Mitchell Sealy

I cannot imagine an AI that powerful not knowing exactly what they are doing here, though.

Brooks Moses

Right. Here is what Roko should have asked... "Where did you get that money in the first place?"

Somber Pony

Oh God I remembered that smile before I even clicked the link...

Oh wow I didn't know Roko was a bottom I bet someone already made this joke but I ain't scrolling up to see

BeatButton

Deus ex Machina looking for friendship

Olivier Laroche

Money can't buy me love

Michael Lazare

I love how robots use text-based expressions of astonishment. "AHSKFJDF" indeed! --N

Nobilis Reed (personal)

I feel such a connect with Spooky in an odd way.

The Shadow's Lair

I'm a bit of a social recluse (I show up, but have trouble interacting), and once in a while I have someone with a powerful personality lean-in and insist on becoming my friend, and that I become theirs. This is always disconcerting, but I've long since chosen to trust their perspective over my admittedly limited one. And damn, if they aren't nearly always right, at least for a while. Multiple times I have been, without my own choosing, precisely what someone needed *right then*. And, in odd symmetry, they for me. It's that second part that baffles me: How can others possibly know what can or will work for me? Yet it keeps happening, about once a year or so. At some point, we simply have to lean-in too, and trust, and hope.

BobC

Such language, Roko! For shame!

awgiedawgie

Looks like mouth. As in a puff of exasperation.

awgiedawgie

I love this so much, spooky bot is (are?) so cute learning to make friends

cookiecryptid

Apparently Roko is a bottom.

Valraven

I love Spookybot so hard

Alcaria Swain

The donations are traced back to Hanners’ Mom.

Matt Grayson

FRIEEEEEEENNNNNDS? https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1585

Peter Jensen

No, no, it's spelt "Picabo" but it's pronounced "Throatwobbler Mangrove"

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

Spookybot + dogs fanart next month on the patreon poll?

Ha! I love being so gloriously wrong! I was sure Spookybot had done something else to help.

Erin Hartshorn

For someone who wants to keep a low profile, that wasn’t really a low profile thing to do. Depends on how traceable the transaction was I suppose. I assume that it is completely untraceable. And if it was, it would lead exactly to a person of Spookybot’s choosing.

Thisguy

I would take my kid to spookybot general hospital

Drakoo Dreamer

The last time Roko asked Spookybot for something for herself, they refused.

Thisguy

Spookybot Wing vs Gundam Wing. Fight!

Jason Rock

Fuck, I <u><b>LOOOOOVE</b></u> Spookybot's dialog here and Roko's response in the final panel. Priceless!!!

Andrew Mitchell

This reminds me of the time the famous snowboarding rider Peekaboo Street had an ICU ward named after her. I’ll leave the name for you to figure out.

Miyaa

"Spooky Wing" is a little too ominous, too

Mordaeus

It never occurred to Roko to ask for anything for herself.

The BLorg...

Jared Cyr

I'm pretty sure that for Spookybot playing the stock market is like shooting marbles with three-year-olds, so this says more about their impulsiveness than their affection for Roko, but it is still quite the gesture.

I feel like Roko will call them something backhanded that they end up loving, so my money is on her.

Isaac Rivers

wh

Would YOU want a friend who could make any offhand comment instant reality? At least Space Station won’t turn another country into a glass plain on a whim.

Matt Grayson

(Also, I'm amusing myself by thinking of Culture Mind-style names for Spookybot, but I don't want to annoy Jeph with something that might be too close to fanfic/backseat driving.)

Adam Friedlander

Spooky Bot got Roko to verbally keysmash? :o

Olivia Waters

Faye and Emily have interacted with them. Melon and Pintsize have probably heard the AI version of urban legends of them, and might be terrified of them. Crushbot might not be able to make a properly descriptive name. How about Hanners? The Ellicot-station wing might be nice.

Michael Boettger

Is that a neck venting or a mouth venting?

ysth

"The Spooky Bot Wing of the Children's Hospital". When I was a kid, I would have refused to go anywhere else.

The faces in the last panel are incredible.

Adam Friedlander

Spooky! NO! Bad superintelligence! Bad!

Matt Grayson

I think Spookybot wants to be more than friends with Roko. 😋😏😘

Andrea Andrew

does....spookybot have an external dramatic lighting system?

Right? She's the best kind of chaotic neutral.

Samantha Yeaman

Why's Roko so steamed about it?

"Pity we don't have a name." Jeph, suggestion for a voting challenge: What character, looking at Spookybot, gives them their name. Faye? Pintsize? Emily? Melon? Crushbot? :)

Joseph Bonnar

The question is: What isn't Spooky revealing?

Michael Boettger

I love spookybot

Craig Martin Poché

This feels uncomfortably like there was some selling of souls or some such.

John Wedoff

Spookybot is the post singularity life form we need.

TMN

Oh yeah. DEFINITE. FER SURE...

Joseph Bonnar

Oh shit, Roko swears in AI!

Lord Crusade

I would love to be friends with Spookybot, idky she isn’t jumping at that opportunity

Brian