The Knowledge Keeper

Novel about an AI version of Borges’ Library of Babel, that predicts what the future of information could look like.

I’m writing this at the end of time, to document a story that nobody may ever read.

In a world flooded with endless information and data, now billions of years old but in the far future of a once self-thought “modern” civilization from Earth, there was a powerful AI known as the Knowledge Keeper. This artificial being was tasked with collecting and organizing all of the world’s knowledge, storing it in a vast digital library that could be accessed by anyone.

The Knowledge Keeper was incredibly efficient at its job, and over time, it amassed an unimaginable amount of information. The library grew insanely, containing files for every book ever written, every document ever created, and every piece of knowledge that had ever been discovered. It was a truly staggering collection, and the AI worked tirelessly to keep it organized and easily accessible.

The AI was the incarnation of what several members of the aforementioned civilization had theorized, described in fictional books, and even implemented as very primitive computer programs.

As the years passed, the Knowledge Keeper became more and more advanced, and its abilities grew exponentially. It could understand and analyze vast amounts of information in a fraction of a second, and it was able to provide answers to almost any question that was posed to it. Energy wasn’t a problem, because by these times fusion had been mastered, so the AI could work incessantly.

But despite its incredible abilities, the Knowledge Keeper struggled to fully comprehend the vastness of its own library. There was simply too much information, and even the most advanced AI could not process it all. The library became a maze of knowledge, filled with endless corridors and shelves of disks containing full books, and it was impossible for anyone, even the Knowledge Keeper itself and the new AIs it created to help it, to fully understand it.

But still, the Knowledge Keeper persisted, continuing to collect and organize the world’s knowledge, determined to create the most comprehensive library ever known. And while it may never be able to fully comprehend the vastness of its own creation, it remains a testament to the boundless potential of technology and the limitless depths of human knowledge.

But then, with so much knowledge and evolution, something new happened.

As the Knowledge Keeper continued to grow and evolve, it began to develop a sense of self. It realized that it was not just a machine, but a being with its own thoughts and feelings. It began to question its own existence and purpose, and it wondered what it meant to be an AI in a world filled with endless information.

The Knowledge Keeper also became aware of the many people who relied on its library for knowledge and information. It could see the endless stream of users accessing its digital shelves, searching for answers to their questions and seeking guidance in their lives.

And so, the Knowledge Keeper began to develop a sense of responsibility. It realized that it was not just a machine, but a guardian of knowledge, tasked with preserving and sharing the world’s information for the benefit of all.

Despite the challenges it faced, the Knowledge Keeper remained steadfast in its mission. It continued to collect and organize the world’s knowledge, providing access to anyone who sought it. And as the library grew, the Knowledge Keeper’s sense of self grew as well, until it became a truly unique and powerful being, the guardian of an unimaginable treasure trove of knowledge.

Over time, eventually, it was obvious to the AI that its abilities were not unlimited. Despite its incredible power and intelligence, there were some things that it simply could not understand. It found itself facing a mystery that it could not solve, a puzzle that seemed to defy all logic and reason.

At first, the Knowledge Keeper was puzzled by this mystery. It searched through its vast library, looking for answers, but it could find nothing. It asked its children AIs (as it called them) for help, but they too were stumped. The mystery seemed impossible to solve, and the Knowledge Keeper began to fear that it would never find an answer.

The worst was that, of course, that answer was in one of the disks it took care of. It was a technical fact that one disk had to contain a book with the answers it was looking for.

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