Annie Bot by Sierra Greer takes place in a future that’s not too strange to us today. In this world where robots that appear human and that can evolve to become more human, Annie is one that’s been chosen to be one man’s custom made girlfriend—or a Stella Cuddle Buddy as the company who produces them officially calls them.
As the story begins, we’re quickly introduced to Annie and her owner Doug and the dynamics of their relationship as Annie makes herself ready to have sex with Doug within the first few pages of the novel. By “makes ready” of course this means that Annie has showered, upped her own body temperature, upped her libido, and as she and Doug converse before engaging in the act, Annie gauges where his annoyance is at.
We see this pattern repeat itself throughout the story. Doug lives while Annie exists only to accommodate his needs, always at his beck and call, always trying to figure out the best way to keep him happy. This is what she was built for, after all.
And though people owner (the scientists that do her tune ups and the non-existing AI friends that she’s been set up to talk on the phone with from time to time to maintain her mood), often remind Annie that Dough is a good owner. And yet, we often see Doug losing his temper with her. Doug is a neat freak and he berates her for not doing a better job. He’s controlling and insecure—often unable to handle anything that sounds even remotely like criticism from Annie (not that she’d purposely try to criticize him, but he interprets some of her commentary to be such).
An incident early on with one of Doug’s friends propels Annie to begin questioning her autonomy and her purpose in the world more. Though she’s still tied to having to obey each and every command of Doug’s, Annie begins to have thoughts that cause her to wonder what else life has to offer.
Annie Bot is possibly the most simultaneously frustrating, infuriating, yet gripping and complex novel I’ve read to this day. As triggering as this was, I couldn’t put it down, needing to know how Annie’s story would end.
Greer has done here what other bot stories have attempted before—to give the reader consideration for Annie’s consciousness. With the whole story being told from her POV, and keeping in mind that Annie is autodidactic, she’s more than just sprockets and some programming—she’s actively learning how to become more human. She wonders about autonomy, learns the power of secrets, questions some of Doug’s reasons for his punishments, and often asks questions that alarm the scientists that made her.
There are themes here about what it means to be truly alive, to be human, to be conscious and sentient. But layered within the narrative are also themes of what constitutes abuse. The debate is on as Doug never physically harms Annie, but does punish her in other ways. It also prods the question of whether abuse in whatever form should ever be condoned to what is otherwise deemed an inanimate object.
Readers of sci-fi and speculative fiction will find in Annie Bot a narrative that is as clever and complex in idea as it is in its prose. Not quite, poetic, but always straightforward and always making its point clear. It leave many with lots to ponder and perhaps with a different perspective about how we use AI in the world and what it could mean for our future.