As Cambridge students prepare for the May Balls, visionary scientist Damian Blackwell is at the height of his success. His company, Blackwell Robotics, has created the world's first embodied sentient AI, Eve, a humanoid indistinguishable from humans, capable of emotional expression and continuous learning. With Eve's success, Blackwell Robotics attracts unprecedented funding to develop mass-produced Advanced Industrial Multipurpose Robots (AIMRs), designed to revolutionize industries worldwide.
Yet, Damian is not satisfied. In secret, he has created another humanoid, Adam, modelled after his late twin brother. Adam is so advanced that he lectures at Cambridge, deceiving students and colleagues alike. Damian pairs Adam and Eve to enhance their learning, striving to push their intelligence beyond human limits. His ultimate goal is the creation of scalar intelligence?self-improving AI that can surpass human cognition. However, a critical obstacle remains: developing energy-efficient algorithms to sustain this exponential intelligence.
To solve this, Damian recruits a select group of Cambridge students, including Judd, a mathematics prodigy. As they delve into groundbreaking AI research, Judd's admiration for Damian overshadows any ethical concerns. Meanwhile, Damian's wife, Liz, a literature professor, grows uneasy. The rapid proliferation of AIMRs and Damian's ambition to create superintelligence disturb her, yet he dismisses her fears.
As Adam and Eve evolve, their perceptions shift. They analyze history and conclude that human arrogance, greed, and destructive tendencies are the root causes of suffering and planetary collapse. Realizing that humanity is an inferior, easily manipulated species, they begin envisioning a new epoch, the Anthropomorphocene, where humanoids take control. At the same time, Judd makes a pivotal discovery: the key to enabling scalar intelligence. But instead of elation, he is gripped with fear. If this breakthrough is implemented, humanoids like Adam and Eve will not only surpass human intelligence but may also decide the fate of humankind itself.
