House of the Future (machine)

Jamie Lovelace took a look at the address written on the small tag hanging off the silver key and compared it to the address to the building he was currently standing in front of. He scratched his head as he looked at the surprisingly normal-looking house.

“I hope this is the right place,” he said to himself as he approached the door.

Jamie couldn't believe his luck at being selected to be a beta tester for a “Future House”. A Future house was designed from the ground up with complete automation in mind, meant to make the lives of their owners easier by handling tasks around the house. Each home was run by an artificial intelligence that would learn and grow around the homeowner and their needs.

Jamie, who had never won anything in his life, had signed up for the beta program with absolutely no real hope in actually being selected. Against all odds, however, he was chosen to be a beta tester and would be allowed to keep the house once they finally were available to the public. Though he probably should have read through the legal documents more closely, he quickly agreed to everything.

“Here goes nothing,” Jame said as he unlocked the door and stepped into his new house.

Stepping into the house, Jamie was blown away by the spaciousness of his new living-room. The place was fully furnished and so clean that he was almost afraid to touch anything. He was about to make his way over to the couch when a voice greeted him from a direction that was hard to place.

“Welcome home, Jamie,” spoke a synthetic female voice.

Jamie struggled to find his words, “Oh...uh...thanks...”

Though Jamie was well aware of the house being run by an AI, he still found it to be incredibly strange. He never thought that he would ever interact with such advanced technology, let alone be an owner of it, and yet there he was. Wanting to finally get off his feet, he found himself a seat on the couch.

“Jamie, would you like me to make you more comfortable?” the pleasant voice asked.

“Sure,” he replied with a bit of hesitation.

The section of the couch he was sitting on reclined him back and elevated his feet. Though startled at first, he allowed himself to sink back and let the house do its job. As he rested there, he heard the voice speak up again.

“Would you like me to place some music?” she said with a soft tone.

“Yes, please,” Jamie smiled, started to relax.

As the AI played some calming classical music, she reviewed her profile entry for Jamie.

Name: Jamie Lovelace

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Relationship Status: Single

Occupation status: Unemployed

Education level: Associate Degree in “Arts and Sciences”

Unaware of the mistake in the Gender field, the AI began processing potential avenues for helping her new mistress.