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reviewed Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (duplicate)

Annalee Newitz (duplicate): Automatic Noodle (2025, Tor Publishing Group)

From sci-fi visionary and acclaimed author Annalee Newitz comes Automatic Noodle, a cozy near-future novella …

Notes: Automatic Noodle - Solarpunk, Lofi, Cozy

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz ( @annaleen@wandering.shop - wandering.shop/@annaleen )

  • Cozy Book, Lofi
  • Low stakes / minimal conflict
  • Solarpunk

Wonderful book. Sentient robots start and run a noodle shop in post-civil war (near-future) San Francisco. Detailed imagery of war torn ruins being rebuilt. Life returning to previously abandoned locations. Detailed descriptions of various food dishes including biang biang noodle dishes. Detailed descriptions of making noodles by hand. What conflict that does exist includes: flashbacks of war and struggle; current animosity towards sentient robots and their endeavors. Very low conflict and minimal tension. A lovely story to relax into and just exist and vibe.

replied to BramblyBearWhuffling's status

@BrambleBearWhuffling@sunny.garden @annaleen@wandering.shop - They don't really get into the how. But they do differentiate between non-thinking mechanics, thinking robots / devices that aren't sentient, and full blown human-equivalent embodied intelligences (or HEEI).

replied to BramblyBearWhuffling's status

@BrambleBearWhuffling@sunny.garden - A little, yes. I'm familiar but by no means an expert. Several robots utilize machine learning and are automated. Others use "solving algorithms" that are tuned to their task. The first thing that comes to mind are automated maze-solving robots: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMQbHMgK2rw

Other robots use machine learning for movement.

AI right now can mean many different things. Things such as Language Learning Models (which are like text complete algorithms on steroids) help them appear to be intelligent - but they don't "know" what they're saying... per se. Instead, they string another word to the end of their current word based on statistical probability based on what texts they have consumed. Here are some examples of both of those: www.techopedia.com/most-advanced-ai-powered-robots

But nothing sentient or intelligent (in the sense of creating discovering things outside of their data set) hasn't really been done yet.