Short story ID, ChatGPT doesn't know!
January 27, 2023 8:41 PM Subscribe
Read in an anthology, certainly before 1999 and probably in 1996. Robots programmed to fight a war have failed programming, and have killed (as best they know) all humans and most animals. They're sad about it because they can't maintain themselves or reproduce, but it is an instinct they can't overcome.
The only characters are robots, and it is set in the first person perspective of one of the robots. They are not bipedal; I think they are hexapods. They were created as war robots, and initially programmed to kill enemy soldiers. Over time, their programming changed to kill all people then all animals. The robots do not know if there are any surviving humans on remote islands. The robots are intelligent, and realize that without humans they have no mechanism for reproduction and their power sources are failing. One of the robots is attempting to build a new robot from spare parts from others who have broken down, but his attempt fails. At the end, a rabbit jumps out and the main character reflexively kills it. The robot is sad about not having a future with its own impending power source failure.
The only characters are robots, and it is set in the first person perspective of one of the robots. They are not bipedal; I think they are hexapods. They were created as war robots, and initially programmed to kill enemy soldiers. Over time, their programming changed to kill all people then all animals. The robots do not know if there are any surviving humans on remote islands. The robots are intelligent, and realize that without humans they have no mechanism for reproduction and their power sources are failing. One of the robots is attempting to build a new robot from spare parts from others who have broken down, but his attempt fails. At the end, a rabbit jumps out and the main character reflexively kills it. The robot is sad about not having a future with its own impending power source failure.
Best answer: Is it Rust, by Joseph E. Kelleam? Here are some excerpts.
posted by peppercorn at 10:04 PM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by peppercorn at 10:04 PM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: As mentioned in the Stack Exchange link, IA has the original published version of Rust.
posted by zamboni at 5:55 AM on January 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 5:55 AM on January 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by a robot made out of meat
*narrows eyes*
posted by zamboni at 6:09 AM on January 28, 2023 [24 favorites]
*narrows eyes*
posted by zamboni at 6:09 AM on January 28, 2023 [24 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks! There were obviously some aspects that I misremembered. It is not super compelling as a story, but it struck me that it was a pre-WW2 understanding of the very current potential for technology to become genocidal. The reflexive, helpless killing embedded within the otherwise intelligent robot also struck me at that age.
ChatGPT is normally pretty good at book and story ID, but doesn't have that story at all, I guess because it is still not public domain and not very widely discussed.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:58 AM on January 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
ChatGPT is normally pretty good at book and story ID, but doesn't have that story at all, I guess because it is still not public domain and not very widely discussed.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:58 AM on January 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
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posted by Sar at 8:54 PM on January 27, 2023