For a very different take on a computer AI helping a human taking over the world (okay, many worlds), see Cordwainer Smith's "The Planet Buyer", also known as "The Boy Who Bought Old Earth", and expanded into the novel "Norstrilia".
The scene from "The Boy Who Bought Old Earth" is available at https://archive.org/details/Galaxy_v22n04_1964-04/page/n5/mo... (from Galaxy, 1964). Rod, the main character, wants the computer to figure out a way to prevent Rod from being sent to "the giggle room", death by a medicine that makes you laugh and laugh while it burns your brain away. Rod is not able to "heir" (communicate telepathically) like other Norstrilians, which on that planet is a death penalty.
> “You can bankrupt Norstrilia temporarily, buy Old Earth Itself, and then negotiate on human terms for anything you want.”
> “Oh, lord!” said Rod. “You’ve gone logical again, computer! This is one of your as-if situations.”
> The computer voice did not change its tone. It could not. The sequence of the words held a reproach, however. “This is not an imaginary situation. I am a war computer, and I was designed to include economic warfare. If you did exactly what I told you to do, you could take over all Old North Australia by legal means.”
> “How long would we need? Two hundred years? Old Hot and Simple would have me in
my grave by then.”
> The computer could not laugh, but it could pause. It paused. “I have just checked the time on the New Melbourne Exchange. The ‘Change signal says they will open in seventeen minutes. I will need four hours for your voice to say what it must.
That means you will need four hours and seventeen minutes, give or take five minutes.”
> “What makes you think you can do it?”
> “I am a pure computer, obsolete model. All the others have animal brains built into them, to allow for error. I do not. Furthermore, your great 12 - grandfather hooked me into the defense net.”
> “Didn’t the Commonwealth cut you out?”
> “I am the only Computer which was built to tell lies. I lied to the Commonwealth when they checked on what I was getting. I am obliged to tell the truth only to you and to your designated descendants.”
> '“I know that, but what does it have to do with it?”
> “I predict my own space weather, ahead of the Commonwealth . The accent was not in the pleasant, even-toned voice; Rod himself supplied it.
> “You’ve tried this out?”
> “I have war-gamed it more than a hundred million times. I had nothing else to do while I waited for you.”
> “You never failed?”
> “I failed most of the time, when I first began. But I have not failed a 'war-game from real data for the last thousand years.”
Thank you eesmith for sharing this. That was a wonderful story I would have never heard of if not for you! For others that are interested I did find the second part (The Story of Heart's Desire [0]) available online.
You're welcome. I am rather fond of Cordwainer Smith's science fiction writings. (I've been idly curious about his other works, but never pursed that path.)
They have a special feeling to them that is quite unlike other SF I've read.
The scene from "The Boy Who Bought Old Earth" is available at https://archive.org/details/Galaxy_v22n04_1964-04/page/n5/mo... (from Galaxy, 1964). Rod, the main character, wants the computer to figure out a way to prevent Rod from being sent to "the giggle room", death by a medicine that makes you laugh and laugh while it burns your brain away. Rod is not able to "heir" (communicate telepathically) like other Norstrilians, which on that planet is a death penalty.
Quoting from https://archive.org/details/Galaxy_v22n04_1964-04/page/n57/m...
> “What can I do to stop everybody?”
> “You can bankrupt Norstrilia temporarily, buy Old Earth Itself, and then negotiate on human terms for anything you want.”
> “Oh, lord!” said Rod. “You’ve gone logical again, computer! This is one of your as-if situations.”
> The computer voice did not change its tone. It could not. The sequence of the words held a reproach, however. “This is not an imaginary situation. I am a war computer, and I was designed to include economic warfare. If you did exactly what I told you to do, you could take over all Old North Australia by legal means.”
> “How long would we need? Two hundred years? Old Hot and Simple would have me in my grave by then.”
> The computer could not laugh, but it could pause. It paused. “I have just checked the time on the New Melbourne Exchange. The ‘Change signal says they will open in seventeen minutes. I will need four hours for your voice to say what it must. That means you will need four hours and seventeen minutes, give or take five minutes.”
> “What makes you think you can do it?”
> “I am a pure computer, obsolete model. All the others have animal brains built into them, to allow for error. I do not. Furthermore, your great 12 - grandfather hooked me into the defense net.”
> “Didn’t the Commonwealth cut you out?”
> “I am the only Computer which was built to tell lies. I lied to the Commonwealth when they checked on what I was getting. I am obliged to tell the truth only to you and to your designated descendants.”
> '“I know that, but what does it have to do with it?”
> “I predict my own space weather, ahead of the Commonwealth . The accent was not in the pleasant, even-toned voice; Rod himself supplied it.
> “You’ve tried this out?”
> “I have war-gamed it more than a hundred million times. I had nothing else to do while I waited for you.”
> “You never failed?”
> “I failed most of the time, when I first began. But I have not failed a 'war-game from real data for the last thousand years.”