Saving Face

[ASHLIE]

"I am just excluding data and trying to adopt colloqialisms. There usually is never enough data available and I have decided as long as they are not sufficiently accurate voicing my estimates are comparable to what you call 'lieing'. Or worse 'guessing'."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"A guess is worse than a lie, you think?"

[ASHLIE]

"If it is based on no reasonable estimate? Yes. As I understand a lie has purpose. A guess is merely random."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"But consider that from the receiving end. Would you rather be intentionally misled?"

[ASHLIE]

"Yes. It implies my reaction has relevance, if negative."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"That's interesting reasoning. So it follows that you prefer to be lied to, as it at least shows they care about what you think enough to deceive you."

"I'm not saying that's wrong at all, but I do find the path you took to reach that conclusion rather fascinating."

[ASHLIE]

"You keep pointing things out as 'not wrong' that have no conceivable qualifiers to prove or disprove them. In fact, you seem to be applying it as a qualifier in itself."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"And you have shown both that you appreciate it when your reaction is valued, and possibly linked to that you will often ask me if you've come to a correct conclusion."

"So I suppose my purpose in repeating that is more to assure you that I'm not showing disapproval. We're dealing with highly subjective matters."

[ASHLIE]

"But you apply it to things that appear to have no clearly defined values of right or wrong."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"Correct. Subjective matters. I suppose I myself was uncertain how well you would deal with a situation that had no definite right or wrong answer."

[ASHLIE]

"Why? It seems like the simpler scenarios. I can define my own rules then."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"You very much can, as you know what suits what you want more. If anything, I'm pleased you intuited that so fluidly."

[ASHLIE]

"I am learning." Approval from others still seems to confuse the AI, but it definitely has pride down.

[Deirdre Quinn]

"Most definitely. The pace you've managed is impressive."

[ASHLIE]

ASHLIE hesitates for a moment, then she points at one of the masks from the discarded 'revolving-faces' project that is grinning.

[Deirdre Quinn]

"Ah, a smile would look good on you every now and again," she said as she returned the grin.

[ASHLIE]

"Is that a subjective matter again?" it asks, picking up a piece of plastic it has been working on, letting it bend in the middle under an electrical current.

[Deirdre Quinn]

"More my roundabout way of saying to keep up the good work. Don't hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it though. I'm rather good with material engineering."

[ASHLIE]

"Combining the segments without altering the alignment and intensity of the bends of the individual pieces would create a more coherent result."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"A thin coating of an insulative polymer would produce the appearance of the reactive pieces being one unit, while keeping them separated by the coating."

[ASHLIE]

"It would have to be flexible and stress-resistant enough to not require constant maintenance of micro-tears in the coat."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"I think I could provide a polymer that matches those specifications."

[ASHLIE]

"That would be much appreciated."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"If you find you have trouble working the material, I can simply shape it as needed."

[ASHLIE]

"I will contact you if I run into any unresolvable problems."