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- Frederik Pohl

Composite Expert System  
  Intelligent teaching software - a computer interface with a heart.  

In this alternative future story, humanity has (for all intents and purposes) separated into groups that serve particular functions. But, even with this specialization, sometimes a machine does a better job - if it has the right teaching software program.

When Nikolai Leng was a child, his teacher was a cybernetic system with a holographic interface. The holo took the form of a young Shaper woman. It's "personality" was an interactive composite expert system manufactured by Shaper psychotechs. Nikolai loved it.
Technovelgy from Twenty Evocations, by Bruce Sterling.
Published by Interzone in 1984
Additional resources -

It takes a lot of patience to answer every question of an inquisitive child - and a lot of time at the dictionary! Also, it is not enough to know the answers; you need to reward the child and know how to motivate him or her to achieve their full potential.

Compare to Idoru from Idoru (1996) by William Gibson, Adam Selene from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert Heinlein and synthespian from Nestor Sextone for President (1988) by Jeff Kleiser.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Twenty Evocations
  More Ideas and Technology by Bruce Sterling
  Tech news articles related to Twenty Evocations
  Tech news articles related to works by Bruce Sterling

Composite Expert System-related news articles:
  - Easy With Eve Virtual Teacher Understands Student Emotions

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AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human

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Science Fiction in the News

Stargate $500 Billion Investment in Artificial Intelligence
'... an artificial intelligence equal to the human.'

Jetson Orin Nano Super 70 Just $249
'Rayno folded up the microterm and tucked it back inside his jumper.'

Nano-Chainmail 2D Mechanically Interlocked Polymer
'Nemourlon armor of reasonable weight resists penetration by most fragments and any bullet that is not both reasonably heavy and fairly high-velocity.'

Anker's SOLIX Solar Umbrella Portable Power
As predicted by science fiction thirty-five years ago!

Positioned Cybertrucks With Free Starlinks WiFi In LA
'Several thousand of them formed the positioning grid on the rubble pile.'

AI-THu Shapeshifting Transformer Home
'Its slack walls tightened, bulged, were crossed by ripples and waves of movement.'

Xiaomi Self-Driving Self-Balancing Scooter
'Norman... had never ridden any motorized device that lacked onboard steering and balance systems.'

Transparent 4K OLED Wireless TV From LG
You will note that HG Wells also figured out the aspect ratio of the future!

TSA 2 - Advanced Thermosensory Stimulator Is A Dune Pain Box
'As though a switch had been turned off, the pain stopped...'

Humans Love Helping Other Species
'At the ringside opposite them a table had been removed to make room for a large transparent plastic capsule on wheels.'

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