Hi, I am Ted David Harris the writer of Unleashing Janus, a science fiction story about the development of the first strong artificial intelligence or conscious machine. I choose the topic of artificial intelligence because it has interested me from when I was a child. The thought of something non-human being conscious gave me hope that we are not alone. I felt existence would be more meaningful if more than just one species was aware of it and if we can’t find one in space we should build one here on Earth. Throughout my life I have work with AI, from writing bots for games to modeling economic behavior to detecting fraud. AI is not a thing of science fiction, it here and influencing our daily lives. I believe the development of a strong AI is near but I am not quite sure if as a society we are ready for it. Even my motives for wanting AI, just to have something else to share existence with, is questionable. It would be depressing if we created an AI just to find it bitterer about life than us. Maybe I should just try to teach my cat to talk. I doubt he would be bitter if he were aware. He would be a tad bit self-centered though.