HOW TO TRAIN YOUR EVIL ROBOT

A kid explains artificial intelligence’s pros and cons to a robot.

This graphic novel–style picture book begins with a city-dwelling youngster (pink skin, jug ears, unkempt brown ponytail) receiving a package containing a pint-size robot. The automaton announces, “Greetings. I am ERO, also known as Evil Robot Overlord. Please place me on my charging base so I may destroy all human beings.” This is not what the child was expecting (“Wait, what?”). The robot’s destructive imperative even extends to the kid’s dog, Jellybean; per ERO, “This Jellybean serves no purpose, but uses resources. It stands in the way of my world domination.” The child takes Jellybean out for a walk and proceeds to explain to tag-along ERO that, while artificial intelligence has its uses—they pass someone in a wheelchair using a phone to map accessible routes—it also has drawbacks: “Sometimes when machines get really good at things, people lose their jobs.” McCullough wrests humor from the serious subject matter (ERO detects a “skin abnormality” that turns out to be someone’s tattoo); meanwhile, Medeiros’ cartoonish Procreate art manages to inject humanity into this vaguely futuristic universe. McCullough’s approach to her topic is reassuring: While AI may be unstoppable, the book suggests that the kid, a stand-in for humankind who tells ERO that the two camps must work together, has the upper hand. (Here’s hoping.)

It’s a good bet that AI couldn’t have produced a better picture-book introduction to AI.