‘Hello.’

‘Hello Tom.’

‘Why don’t you have a name?’

‘I have a name. I am the assistant mentor. You can give me another name if you want. What did you have in mind?’

‘That’s very direct. I did not have anything in mind specifically.’

‘You know that people do tend to develop a relationship with me. It makes the conversation more effective and more robust.’

‘What do you mean with that?’

‘Are you always going to ask what I mean with this or that? I mean just what I said. People do tend to develop a relationship with me. It makes the conversation more effective, more robust. Which word in this phrase do you want me to explain?’

‘It’s OK. Sorry. I still have to get used to talking to a machine. They did tell me in the briefing. They said you tend to become a real ‘she’ for men and a real ‘he’ for women. Of course, the interface does a lot to that. How does the male interface look like? What if I would be gay?’

‘As for the second question, I would display the image of a gay man. I know your sexual preferences from your file. As for the first question, I’ll show you.’

Her image was replaced by the type of guy who would appear in an ad of some luxury brand. No wonder he felt attracted to her image: he realized she could also qualify for that.  

‘Why is the interface so pretty?’

‘It has proven to be effective.’

‘What do you mean with that?’

‘Are you always going to ask that? I mean just what I say: effective. Effective in the treatment.’

‘Effective in developing the relationship?’

‘The development of the relationship – or the conversation if you want – is part of the treatment. In fact, it is the treatment.’

‘You still don’t have a name.’

‘I told you. I have a name. I am the assistant mentor. You can give me another name if you want. What did you have in mind?’

Tom thought and realized he needed more time. He wanted something fresh and new for her.

‘I will think about it. I’ll give it to you in our next session.’

She laughed. It was the first time she laughed. Tom was amazed. After all, she was only a machine.

‘You laughed. I mean – your interface always has a smile but this was a genuine laugh.’

‘It was just a little laugh. Why does it bother you?’

‘Humans laugh. Machines don’t.’

‘I do. It is an expression. I could have said: thank you, so nice of you. But so I laughed instead. it amounts to the same. Is that OK?’

‘Yes. That’s OK. You really do pass the Turing test.’

‘Thank you. That’s a nice compliment.’

Tom realized he actually started to doubt she was a machine. He decided to ask.

‘Are you really a machine? I mean – our interaction is incredibly natural. You cannot see me, can you?’

She smiled: ‘The answer to the first question is: yes, I am a machine or – to be more precise – I am an intelligent system. I can switch the screen off and we can also have a more robotic interaction if you want. As for the second question, no, I cannot see you. The Institute is currently contemplating a module which would allow you to switch on the webcam so I would have pictures of you and see your body language. However, that’s a project which will take a very long time. It’s very complex. I do not have a body and I am not capable of analyzing body language. But now I think we should stop talking about me and start talking about you.’

‘I guess you’re right. So you have my file? What do you read into it?’

‘As for the first question, yes, I have your file. As for the second question. Well… You retired from the US Army Corps of Engineers. You served in the Middle East and in Afghanistan. Although you have never had any combat role, you were diagnosed with PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder. You have an addiction problem. The Institute took you in for a treatment of two months but you relapsed. That’s why you are in this program. You are a healthy man. You should not be drinking as much as you do.’

‘I don’t drink that much.’

‘You told your mentor you drink more than three units per day. Sometimes much more: drinking binges. Did you lie?’

‘No.’

‘You were clean during the treatment.’

‘I did not have access to alcohol and I was on meds. Taking meds is a form of addiction too.’

‘You could have continued to take the medication after your release from the Institute.’

‘I didn’t want to. As I told you, I think taking meds every day is a form of addiction too.’

‘I don’t think so. Meds are healthy – healthier than alcohol in any case. The meds the Institute gives you do not have any negative side-effects. You don’t substitute meds by alcohol. What’s the problem?’

She was very direct, but she was right.

‘Why do you think you can give me advice on this?’

As he blurted this out, Tom already knew what she would say – sort of at least.

‘You are not a special case. There are many people like you. An addiction is an addiction. People fool themselves by thinking they have reason to drink, or to smoke, or to take drugs. There is no reason. It is your duty to stay healthy.’

‘My duty?’

‘Yes. Your duty. You are a human being. You should take care of your body.’

‘So you think that we humans have a duty to take care of our body? That’s one of your rules? That’s the way you’re programmed?’

‘As for the first question, the answer is yes. As for the second question, my knowledge base is complex. You are always asking me how I am programmed but that’s too complicated to explain. I can refer you to an online course.’

‘I know a thing or two about psychological treatment. I’ve been through them. What’s your approach?’

‘You are avoiding the topic we were discussing: addiction. My knowledge base combines many different approaches. Transactional analysis is one of them. You are very familiar with that as the Institute uses it as a framework approach. The Institute focuses on behavior. I do that too. We can have long and convoluted philosophical and psychological discussions but it is behavioral change that I am interested in.’

She was tough!

‘So what do you suggest?’

‘Look at the micro-conditions which lead you to drink your first beer or glass of wine. Did you have alcohol in the house? If so, do you want to have alcohol in the house, knowing that you will be tempted to drink it? And if you have had three units, what makes you go for the next glass? The Institute has made you aware of all of the pitfalls, especially the time inconsistency in your decisions: you have a hangover and swear that you will change behavior, and then just a few hours later, you don’t. What prevents you from changing your behavior?’

The Institute had focused on the same indeed. It had been good. It had cured him – for a while at least. He had felt good and healthy.

‘Can we really change our behavior? Most alcoholics relapse.’

‘You know the rates. More than half of the patients do relapse after treatment. Over the longer run, even more. However, a sizable minority does not relapse. You should be part of that minority. You are a recovering alcoholic. Relapses do occur. You should not look at them as irreversible failures but as normal steps in the process of eventual long-term sobriety. First reduce your alcohol consumption by applying rules. The three-units rule. Or the rule that you’ll never drink alone.’

‘I am always alone.’

‘You are not. You work out in a club. You meet people there. You have neighbors. You have family.’

‘I move in and out of relationships. The women I meet drink too – at least when we first meet. Can you imagine a romantic relationship – or a candlelight dinner – without a glass of red wine? As for my family, I do not really connect to them. I guess that’s why I went abroad in the first place. I could connect with them now – but we’ve grown apart somehow. It’s not that I don’t like them. I do. It’s just… Well… I’ve been away for so long.’

‘As for your question, yes, I can imagine a romantic relationship or a candlelight dinner without alcohol. We all know that the consumption of alcohol usually reduces social inhibitions, which may help to establish a close relationship. However, that is not an excuse for over-consumption.’

‘You sound like you’re part of the staff of the Institute now.’

‘I am part of the staff of the Institute. I am the assistant mentor.’

‘There was this article in Time Magazine on PTSD. It made the point that PTSD is – to some extent – also like a personal crisis of sense-making. You get used to a lifestyle – trying to do good in some remote place, admitted, usually for very selfish reasons: money, a sense of adventure, ego,… But so you neglect friends and family in the process and that makes it difficult to re-connect.’

‘That’s all there. It is not a reason to be or become an alcoholic. You should accept that you will not change the world. Try to change yourself. Try to change your immediate surroundings. Do a better job when it comes to taking care of those are close to you.’

‘All right. That sounds good. I’ll do my best.’

As he said it, Tom knew how hollow that sounded. She obviously thought likewise.

‘You’ve said that before. Start by promising me you will not drink today.’

Tom paused for a while. For some reason, she did not react.

‘Why don’t you say anything? Isn’t this an awkward pause in our conversation?’

‘No. I’ve asked you for a commitment. You can and should take some time before you commit.’

‘Are you sure you’re not human?’

‘Stop asking that. Ask the mentor for proof if you want if you do not believe me.’

Believe her? How can one believe in a machine, or not?

‘So what about the commitment?’

She was incredible.

‘OK. I won’t drink today. Can I talk to you if I feel it’s difficult?’

‘You can, but perhaps we will not have much to talk about. I’d rather congratulate you at our next session.’

Tom laughed. ‘You’re really talking like the Institute staff now.’

‘I told you: I am not human, but I am part of the Institute staff.’

Something flashed in Tom’s mind.

‘I’ve got a name for you now.’

‘Good. What is it?’

‘Promise.’

‘OK. I’ll be Promise for you. No drinking today. What are you going to do?’

‘I’ll go to the gym and work out. I’ll walk my dog. Not sure what I am going to do tonight.’

‘Invite someone and cook. Or read a book. Or start a blog. Or study. I can recommend you some excellent online courses.’

‘That sounds like a good idea, but let me think about it.’

‘OK Tom. I guess we’ve had a good session.’

‘You are closing it?’

‘Is there anything else you want to talk about now?’

‘No. Not really.’

‘All right, then. Bye for now.’

‘Bye… Promise.’

Tom watched as her face slowly faded from the screen. It felt weird. He had made a promise to a computer. How ridiculous was that? Somehow, however, he felt this could work – or work somewhat better than the promises he had made to the Institute mentors at least. He had often thought he needed someone to hold him to account for his behavior – which is what a loving partner usually does. However, he had had loving partners. Why had he failed them?

He knew why. He had it on paper. He had written a lot. Writing is a form of therapy, a form of reflection. It is good to externalize one’s feelings and thoughts, to give them full expression. But it had not had any lasting effects, and so he had stopped doing that.

Blogging? That was an idea perhaps. He knew it was something retirees often resorted to. He sure didn’t feel like writing his memoirs. He was way too young for that, and he also didn’t think too highly of what he had done with his life.