This is the story of Olga, a retired mathematician, and Mateo, a
college student passionate about robotics, and their plot to influence
Google.
"This is a beautifully written, endlessly provocative meditation on
humanity's relationship to technology, monopoly, memory and fate."--
Dave Eggers, author of The Circle and The Every
After a chance encounter at the public library, two new friends begin to
meet up regularly. Together they decide to submit an application for
Google sponsorship to an elite technology-training program. Hoping to
stand out, they frame their submission as a direct appeal to the
"conscience" of the seemingly all-powerful corporation.
Olga, a retired entrepreneur, and Mateo, a college student, find
unexpected connection and solace in their conversations. Ideas and
arguments open into personal stories as they debate the possibility of
free will, the existence of merit, and the role of artificial
intelligence. They ask the most basic and important of questions: What
does it mean to be human in a reality shaped by data and surveillance?
Is there still space for empathy and care? What could we be, what could
we build, if we used our resources in different ways?