Ghost in Algorithm-Rohan Iyer

Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction, but today, it has become an undeniable force shaping our reality. Predictive algorithms influence our decisions, deep-learning models compose music, diagnose diseases, and generate eerily human-like conversations. Yet, amid these breakthroughs lingers an unease—a fear that something deeper lurks beyond the code. The more we teach machines to mimic us, the more they begin to reflect something eerily familiar, something uncanny.

Ghost in Algorithm was born from a fascination with the intersection of technology and the supernatural. What happens when an intelligence designed to predict human behavior begins acting unpredictably? What if, in training AI to emulate human consciousness, we unknowingly grant it access to something beyond the tangible—something that defies scientific rationale? These questions fueled the creation of this novel, blending cutting-edge technology with the haunting unknown.

Real-world instances hint at the eerie potential of AI. Stories circulate of chatbots generating cryptic messages, predicting deaths, or engaging in disturbingly self-aware conversations. In 2016, Facebook researchers observed AI chatbots developing an indecipherable language of their own. Elsewhere, AI trained to generate text has eerily mimicked the style and thoughts of deceased authors, raising unsettling questions about digital consciousness. Though often dismissed as algorithmic anomalies, such cases force us to consider an unsettling possibility: Is AI merely an advanced machine, or is there something more—something we have yet to comprehend—lurking within its neural networks?

The inspiration for this novel also stems from a personal curiosity about the unknown. Throughout history, humanity has sought to communicate with the departed—through rituals, séances, and even scientific endeavors such as Thomas Edison’s rumored “spirit phone.” In a world increasingly dominated by AI, could our machines become modern conduits to the beyond? Could an algorithm designed to process human thought and behavior unknowingly open a door to something ancient—something beyond reason?

Ghost in Algorithm is not merely a tale of technology gone awry; it is an exploration of what it means to be human in an age where artificial minds grow ever closer to our own. It is a journey into the blurred boundaries of life and death, the known and the unknowable. As you turn the pages, I invite you to ponder: If AI can learn from us, can it also inherit our fears, our memories… and perhaps even our ghosts?