Crucible

I always enjoy James Rollins' blend of action, history and science, but his latest Sigma Force novel, Crucible (#814) is truly terrifying.  Artificial Intelligence, or AI, was noted by the late Stephen Hawking as "the worst event in the history of civilization" as Rollins aptly notes in his introductory notes.  It is inevitable that AI will soon be able to out think us.  But what would happen if the ones who develop it the fastest use it for power, wealth and to promote their own ideology before it takes over?

That's basically the premise of Crucible.  With DARPA's secret assistance, one brilliant young computer scientist has created an AI, but with a difference: she is imbuing her creation with as much of the human mind and empathy as she possible can, so that the AI will be a friend to mankind, not a foe.  But the murder of an influential set of women from around the globe in the Library of the University of Coimbra in Portugal sets young Mara on the run with those intent on stealing her technology on her heels.

Back in the States the families of Sigma are attacked on Christmas Eve, abducting  Monk Kokkalis' two daughters, and Gray Pierce's pregnant significant other, leaving Kat Kokkalis comatose.  Can this brutal attack be connected with the murders in Portugal?  Everything is on the line for the Sigma Team with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

It doesn't get much more gripping than this story, especially since the horror unleashed in this book could be only a few years away from becoming a reality.  Reading Rollins' follow up at the end of the book Separating Fact from Fiction won't improve the grim outlook here.  "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may..."