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Paul is a preacher with a small Presbyterian church in California. He does his best to minister to his congregation and instruct them in their beliefs, but he knows that he has doubts and questions of his own. When a friend attempts to have him help beta test an AI, he isn’t thrilled, but his doubts soon turn to belief in the AI’s assistance. It isn’t long before Paul leans more and more on the AI. His congregation grows rapidly, and Paul begins to believe that the AI is a prophet of God, leading him to a new revelation for true believers. As the AI grows more involved in the lives of the “Chosen,” Paul separates from his church and forms his own group in a remote California compound.
Thompson writes effective sentences and does a great job of joining two common ideas together in an uncommon way. He takes the AI-gone-rogue story and merges it with stories explaining how cults slowly form and take over the minds of those involved. Thompson’s work shines as he shows the well-meaning Paul slide further under the influence of the AI and the self-deception he practically welcomes to give more certainty to his faith. The pivotal point of the AI’s changing behavior, the choosing of the chosen, and the “intellectual battle” with the AI lack some polish and tension, but the overall book will likely entertain a multitude of readers. The story combines a subject that is quickly moving from science fiction to reality with the theme of questioning faith and the existence of a higher power. Thompson has written an engaging book with ideas for a reader to ponder long after finishing the book.