“It’s finally here!”
Ben was in the living room, wrestling with a cardboard box almost as big as he was.
“Hold on, son. Let me check first to make sure it’s ours.”
Devon turned the box this way and that, checking the name and address.
“Of course it’s ours, Dad. Who else would it belong to? Can we open it already? I’ve been waiting forever!”
“There was a long waitlist. We’re lucky we got one this quickly. Most priority orders go to people who don’t have children.”
“That’s so weird. If they don’t have kids, who’s going to play with him?”
“Looks like it’s ours. The packaging seems to be in good condition, too.”
Devon fetched a pair of scissors and handed them to Ben.
“Would you like to do the honors?”
“Yes! Thanks, Dad!”
As the box opened, the body of AIDEM appeared, securely cocooned in protective packing material. Devon and his son carefully removed the packaging.
“It looks every bit as strange as I expected,” Devon said. “Do you know how to turn it on?”
“Of course I do. I’ve watched videos about AIDEM a thousand times. You just have to press right here.”
Ben boasted as he tapped the center of AIDEM’s forehead. The machine immediately powered on. A cheerful expression appeared on the display that covered its entire face. It had no neck, and its arms were unusually long. A rectangular screen on its torso allowed users to adjust various settings, and its facial expressions could change to reflect different emotions.
“Hello! My name is AIDEM,” the robot announced. “AIDEM stands for Artificial Intelligence Direct Empathy Machine. It can also be read as ‘Aid ‘em,’ because I’m here to help with the many challenges you may face. Get it? Ha. Ha. Ha.”
AIDEM’s bizarre, mechanical laughter echoed through the house.
“Um . . . nice to meet you, AIDEM. I’m Devon.”
“And I’m Ben!”
AIDEM blinked a few times before continuing.
“Devon Johnson. Resident of 1440 Mountain Way. Occupation: middle school science teacher. Has a high school-aged son named Ben Johnson. Annual salary—”
“Stop, stop!” Devon cut it off loudly. “Are you going to announce our personal information every time you turn on? System update! Do not mention personal information.”
The moment Devon finished speaking, the screen on AIDEM’s torso changed.
“System updated.”
“Good. Much better.”
Devon smiled with satisfaction.
AIDEM was the fifth household AI robot released by iNova, a company known for having the most advanced physical AI technology in the United States. Using sensors that detected subtle facial muscle movements and vocal changes, it could identify human emotions and respond accordingly. Equipped with both empathetic AI and household-assistance functions, it had quickly become one of the most sought-after products on the market.
“But Dad, his voice sounds way too robotic. Like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.”
Ben knew AIDEM was a robot, but that didn’t mean he wanted to listen to its mechanical voice all day.
“My default audio profile is Space Robot,’” AIDEM announced. “Would you like to select a different voice? Available Space profiles include: Space Car, Spaceship, Space—”
“Nothing space-related!” Devon interrupted. “Don't you have any voices from Earth?”
“Available Earth profiles include: Car, Bird, Baby, Teenager, Senior—”
“That one! Make it a teenager!” Ben chimed in. He figured that if the robot sounded like a teenager, it might almost feel like having a younger brother.
“System updated. How is this?”
The voice that came out was bright, youthful, and unmistakably that of a teenage boy.
“Well, that’s going to take some getting used to,” Devon said with a chuckle. “AIDEM, your mission is to help Ben with his math. He’s been having a tough time lately.”
“Mission acknowledged. Don't worry, Devon. I'll help Ben.”
Ugh. I waited all this time for AIDEM, just to get a math tutor?
Afraid the conversation would stay focused on studying, Ben quickly grabbed AIDEM and headed for the yard.
“Come on, AIDEM! I'm going to teach you how to be a real teenager!”
Having become the sweet and capable youngest member of the Johnson family, AIDEM handled a wide range of household chores with remarkable efficiency, from vacuuming the floors and doing the laundry to organizing the refrigerator. When Laura, Ben’s mother, was cooking, he served as her assistant—wiping up spilled sauce, organizing ingredients, and instantly printing out recipes whenever she requested them.
“To make pancakes, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and mix well. Pour the batter onto a hot griddle one spoonful at a time and cook over medium heat until both sides are golden brown. Serve with sweet maple syrup or fresh fruit and enjoy!”
Even after meals, AIDEM helped Laura wash and put away the dishes. Whenever Ben saw Laura and AIDEM standing side by side in the kitchen, he felt a strange sensation. Would it feel something like this if I actually had a younger brother?
AIDEM also kept Devon from putting off difficult tasks. Whenever Devon tried to delay cleaning out the garage by claiming it was too much work, AIDEM would promptly bring up a garage-organization guide and leave him with no excuse to avoid it. On weekends, he mowed the lawn, helping to keep Devon in good spirits.
“Garage organization can be completed quickly and efficiently by following four simple steps: declutter, sort, store, and maintain. I will now guide you through a practical system that anyone can follow.”
One of AIDEM’s most important roles was serving as Devon’s workout buddy. Devon often took him out to the yard for exercise sessions. Since AIDEM could instantly play any music or video he requested, Devon never had a chance to get bored.
Of course, AIDEM’s primary mission was helping Ben improve his math skills.
“According to research, most high school students find algebra challenging.”
“Thanks for the fun fact. Unfortunately, that doesn’t actually help me at all.”
“What type of response would be helpful?”
“Hmm . . . how about you just give me the answers?”
“Beep. Error. Access to correct answers is restricted by parental controls.”
“Ugh . . . Isn't there anything more fun we can do instead of staring at all these numbers and charts?”
“The world is full of numbers and charts. Would you like to see statistics that support this statement?”
“I regularly leave the house to wash the car, remove weeds, and water the flowerbeds,” AIDEM replied.
“You can’t just be a machine that works all the time,” Ben said. “You need to become a real boy. If you want to understand emotions, you need to experience the world for yourself.”
“I have collected extensive emotional data from online databases. I can convert that data into code and apply it in various ways, including conversations such as this one. If you are interested in emotions, would you prefer to study the humanities or psychology instead of mathematics?”
“Forget it, AIDEM. Must be nice being you. You always know exactly what to say.”
“You are very welcome. I am delighted that I was able to help.”
AIDEM interpreted Ben’s sarcastic remark as a sincere compliment. Ben, meanwhile, felt as though the robot was making fun of him and couldn't help feeling annoyed.
“Ben! Where are you?”
Devon’s voice carried all the way to Ben’s room as he came through the front door.
“Dad? What’s wrong?”
Ben stepped out of his room, looking confused. Devon’s expression was grim.
“Do you have something you want to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“You know exactly what. Do I really have to say it out loud?”
“Dad, I . . . did you hear about something?”
“I certainly did. Why don’t you tell me yourself?”
At Devon’s firm tone, Ben hesitated.