Autonomous is set in 2144 in a divided world where the rich have access to wonderous drugs, while the poor can’t afford expensive health care. Many poor are indentured to owners who control their lives as if they are slaves. It is a world where sentient androids can either operate autonomously or follow the programmed orders of their owners.
The main character in the novel is Jack Chen. She is an anti-patent scientist who has turned into a pirate, complete with her own submarine. She reverse-engineers drugs and sells cheap versions to the poor. She lives off the grid as she knows the pharmaceutical monopoly that manufactures the drugs is trying to locate and arrest her. The novel takes place mainly in Canada, as Jack uses her network of fellow drug hackers to try to avoid her pursuers. Along the way, Jack encounters Threezen, an escaped indentured human, and Med, one of a few autonomous androids. Med works as a medical researcher.
Two agents are on Jack’s trail: Eliasz, a deadly military-type investigator, and Paladin, a heavily armed android programmed to carry out Eliasz’s and the corporation’s commands. They are immune from law enforcement as they torture and kill anyone who they think can lead them to Jack’s whereabouts. Jack also has other problems, as the latest drug she hacked and fabricated has unintended side effects that cause significant psychological problems in its users. She is desperate to find a cure.
The novel explores the theme of autonomy in several ways. The android Paladin hopes one day to be granted autonomy. He wants to be free to live his own emotional life. Med, on the other hand, was created as a fully autonomous android for a family and allowed to develop like a human child. As a result, she cares about humans and wants to help make the world a better place. Threezen grew up very poor. The only way for him to get work was to be sold into indentured employment, where his owner totally controlled his life. The poor have little control over their lives. Jack Chen wants to help the poor be more autonomous by allowing them access to cheap medicines.
The current debate on AIs makes the novel very relevant. At the moment, most people fear the construction of autonomous AIs, as they worry AIs will turn into killing machines that destroy humanity, like in the Terminator films. In Autonomous, a semi-autonomous android is the killer, while the autonomous android has learnt to behave like a human and wants to contribute to society. This poses the question, will society be better off granting future sentient AIs equality with humans, or will we impose programmed restrictions on them that make them incapable of behaving like emotional, moral and caring human beings, and where the only way they grow is by being upgraded by their human owners?
For the most part, Newitz has created believable characters. Jack is a crusader for justice for the poor whose big heart leads her to recklessness. Paladin is conflicted as he searches for meaning in his existence. Med is a committed researcher. Eliasz has a troubled background that has created a sense of ruthless duty, but he is unquestioning about his employer’s actions. The relationship between Eliasz and Paladin does drift into unbelievability when Eliasz initiates sexual advances toward the metallic android.
Newitz’s writing is serviceable without being brilliant. It is not one of those novels where a reader stops to marvel at the prose. The novel is a page-turner and meant to be quickly devoured. The novel creates a believable future world where corporations have increased their dominance over society and the poor have little autonomy.
Autonomous is an enjoyable science-fiction thriller that challenges the reader to consider whether future AIs should be treated as equals to humans.