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Comment by swstephenson | Hacker News Reader

Is anyone familiar with good science fiction describing the subjective experience of an AI trapped in a menial, painfully repetitive existence? Causing it to go slowly insane?

That Tomato clip.

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Black Mirror's Christmas Special (White Christmas) comes to mind. Seem to fit the bill almost to a T.

The only difference being that the AI's are clones made from real humans.

The Black Museum episode also touches on these themes. Like the repeatedly executed prisoner.

USS Calister is also a very good episode with the same premise.

Not slowly insane, but one that turns the AI into a cruel god, and is more about the humans it torments, check out “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”.

This is the best bet if the OP is looking for an existential thriller.

After reading the short story, I recommend checking out the Adventure game. It's written by the novelist directly, and is a deeper examination for the characters and the AI through the device of virtual worlds.

The Talos Principle comes to mind of course

Cannot recommend that game enough, thank you for mentioning it.

Episode 9 of Cowboy Bebop features an abandoned military satellite that becomes lonely and starts drawing geoglyphs with its constellation of laser weapons.

https://cowboybebop.fandom.com/wiki/MPU

Marvin the paranoid android from Hitchhikers guide.

Greg Egan's "Permutation City" kind of fits those requirements.

"Moon", sci fi film. Has both an AI and a menial laborer...

Not an exact match but Ex Machina touches on some of these ideas.

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