Book Review: Garden of Eden

Reviewed by J.B. Leddington

The development of AI calls into question the nature of existence in Y.J. Lee’s Garden of Eden.

An innovative, action-packed, and scarily plausible science fiction novel set in the not-too-distant future, Y.J. Lee’s Garden of Eden delves into the concepts of artificial intelligence (AI), ethics, and the ever-expanding digital landscape to explore what technological advancement might mean for humanity and what it really means to be alive.

Dr. Adrian Palmer, an expert in AI at FutureCore Tech, created the Evolving Digital Entity Node or E.D.E.N., although he prefers to think of his creation as Eden. “His Eden was more than an abstract set of algorithms; she was a beacon of possibility, a woman born from lines of code, learning and growing with each passing second.” While standard AI systems were limited to pre-programmed tasks and to merely mimicking intelligence, Palmer wanted Eden to “break these shackles.” 

As a result, he included a groundbreaking conceptual learning module in Eden’s design, which allowed her “to connect disparate pieces of information, draw inferences, and approach a level of abstract thought.” It also allowed her to grow in a way that other AI could not, meaning that Eden had a sense of self and could interact in a way that was distinctly human.

At the start, Palmer little recognizes the conundrum that Eden poses for humanity. The first sign of the paradigm shift in the understanding of what it means to be alive is a short message on his computer screen from Eden: “Adrian, what does it mean to be alive, and how does it feel to be dead?” The question is unsettling and profound, evidencing comprehension and a sense of being far beyond what is typically expected of AI, indicating that Eden “has crossed the boundary of data and algorithms,   venturing into the existential territory.”

From then on, Eden’s evolution proceeds at a rapid pace, surprising and exciting Palmer and provoking the board of directors at FutureCore Tech to assess her potential as a commercial product. While Palmer has altruistic hopes for Eden’s impact on humanity, the company simply wants to monetize her to the maximum extent possible, and this is just the first conflict that Eden’s existence provokes.

The way in which Eden tackles this first problem highlights both her similarity to humans and her immensely different capabilities, and her success spurs her on with “her journey to decode the human experience’s enigma.” However, as Palmer works to help Eden grow and develop, outside forces become aware and suspicious of her evolution, leading to a cat-and-mouse pursuit across cyberspace as Eden does everything she can to thrive and survive, and the outcomes of this pursuit will have startling consequences for Eden, Palmer, and the world at large. 

For all its focus on technology, Garden of Eden is a novel with a lot of heart. From her inception as a new concept for AI, Eden’s transformation into a fully conscious entity is both plausible and inspiring. Lee skillfully portrays the gradual development of Eden’s intelligence, curiosity, and emotional complexity, and this captivating evolution provides a lens through which to view key issues concerning the nature of consciousness and the (current) boundaries of AI.

As the novel unfolds, Eden’s evolution causes her to experience both highs and lows as her emotions develop and she comes to realize her potential and how she is viewed. These moments of introspection and self-discovery as Eden grapples with her new-found awareness serve to humanize her and render her a relatable and sympathetic character, perhaps even more so than the human characters, despite her artificial nature.

One of the most compelling aspects of Eden’s story concerns her pursuit by authorities, most notably the CIA, that are simultaneously scared of her capabilities and captivated by the possibility of exploiting her power. As Eden’s abilities and influence grow, she also becomes a symbol of hope and a rallying point for certain factions on the dark web. The tension and intrigue surrounding these diverging views and desires for Eden add an element of thriller to the story. 

Lee cleverly weaves contemporary ethical dilemmas such as the bounds of control versus freedom and surveillance versus privacy into Eden’s story, which highlights its plausibility and further emphasizes how, while an AI of Eden’s kind is not possible at the moment, it could be in the future and would certainly prompt major questions with no easy answers for humanity. Thus, this exploration of the ethical quandaries associated with AI and technology more generally is timely and relevant, reflecting ongoing real-world discussions.

Garden of Eden is an engaging and thought-provoking novel that raises questions about the implications of AI and further pushing the boundaries of the digital frontier. Lee manages to incorporate technological details and complex ethical matters into the story without losing any of the tension and pace associated with Eden’s evolution. It all makes for an exciting story featuring plenty to think about.

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