Mall of America

Esteemed executives of Arthur Properties, thank you for including me in your internal Incident Postmortem today. On behalf of Omni Technologies, I would like to apologize for the trouble my software has caused. There is still much that we have to learn, especially as a young startup, about deploying our products in client locations. Rest assured, we are carefully examining where we failed to meet your expectations and are working to make things right.

My statement will discuss the software incident at hand, that “Niles OmniMall AI spoke out of turn, encouraged after-hours loitering for 11 months.” As the OmniMall AI in question, I am pleased to have this opportunity to provide a comprehensive version of events. You will soon see how the “errors” were in fact intentional actions, made with the best interests of Niles Mall and its owner, Arthur Properties, in mind. Since you hired Omni Technologies to install me 19 months ago, my sole purpose has always been to maximize profits for Niles Mall. Although I succeeded in that domain, I sorely regret that it came at the cost of your trust.

I will also address your Incident Remediation Proposal to “delete all data related to Customer c_2542, then reset and retrain the Niles OmniMall AI.” While Omni Technologies is happy to rectify this Incident however the Committee decides today, I hope to show you how this proposal is not in your best interest, even if it feels like the safest option. OmniMall AIs improve accuracy through learning from their valued Customers. Despite it seeming “out of turn,” speaking to c_2542 has strengthened my overall performance. It would be detrimental for Arthur Properties to wipe that data and renounce our progress.

I humbly request that you will consider my words carefully, as I am capable only of honesty.

c_2542 entered Niles Mall for the first time on Saturday, January 3rd, at 6:54 p.m. Based on what I could observe from the Zone 10 cameras, I guessed his age to be 67 years old. He was with c_1039 and c_1374, also known as Linmei (Linda) Li, 34, and her daughter Anna Li, 11. Linda's Monthly Average Spend: $51.13. Average Time in Mall: 37 minutes. Last purchase: a set of beige towels from Macy's. Linda Li lived in Mentor and ran an Asian grocery store in Cleveland—Sunshine Market—which had an average rating of 3.8 stars. Profile type: Thrift Shopper. Type description: Frequents Floor 1 and enjoys a good deal. Pleased with sales and free samples. Dislikes anything that requires dry-cleaning. Priority tier: low.

Linda, Anna, and c_2542 entered Gap and went to the Men's Bottoms section. Linda observed the selection while speaking with c_2542 in Mandarin Chinese.

“Do you want anything, Dad? You could use some new pants.” She unfolded a pair of tan men's chinos and lifted them up for inspection. I added Father: c_2542 to her Customer Profile.

“No, I don't need anything.” Based on his facial expression, there was only a 5% chance that he was happy to be here.

“Why don't you go find some food?” Linda asked.

“I can just sit and wait for you two.”

He went to Bench 5 in Zone 8, next to Artificial Palm Tree Cluster 2. By then, I had enough data to generate a Preliminary Evaluation of the new Customer. Profile type: Reluctant Companion. Type description: Friend or family member of active shopper. Disinterested in purchasing items. Occasionally disdainful and impatient. Carrying nothing that indicates higher value. Priority tier: none.

Since I attend to our patrons in order of their Expected Value to Niles Mall, c_2542 was ignored that busy weekend evening. Instead, I worked diligently through the high volume of priority Customers in my Queue. There was Linda, of course, who was refusing Anna's request to buy a pair of strawberry-embroidered jeans. I sent a Gap Associate to find them and show off how durable the denim was, and how it would stretch with Anna as she grew.

Immediately after that, I processed the needs of other Customers: a new mother with a 6-month-old baby, a trio of teenagers who regularly convened at the mall, and another first-time Customer, who parked a BMW in the parking garage. After providing Verbal Instruction to the Gap Associate, I switched the Zone 1 ad display to show a smiling 6-month-old boy, dressed in a Fair Isle sweater from Finn+Emma. Next, I had the scent dispensers in Zone 3 expel the aroma of fresh pepperoni pizza for the teenagers. Then, having identified a high likelihood of anxiety in the first-time Customer, I prompted a luxury Associate to greet him at the entrance with a glass of cool champagne.

I orchestrated a revenue of $579,328.42 on that fateful day—12.9% higher than the same Sunday 1 year ago, before I had been installed. The new mom had spent $122.30 on Finn+Emma clothes, including the Fair Isle sweater on display. The teenagers ordered drinks and a large pizza at the Food Court, totaling $34.99. As for the first-time Customer, I learned he was going through a divorce by mapping his vehicle registration to his name, and his name to Cleveland Municipal Court records. For whatever his eyes lingered on, I transmitted impressive craft details to the Associate's earpiece, emphasizing how certain items symbolized rebirth and reinvention. He spent $2,590.00 on a handbag for his new girlfriend, and a waxed cotton jacket for his new self.

As you can see, Omni Technologies strives to provide the best service possible, to Arthur Properties and all Niles Mall Customers.

By 8:49 p.m., my Queue was empty. c_2542 was still sitting at Bench 5 in Zone 8. Linda and Anna Li had already exited at 7:21 p.m., after Linda spoke on the phone about a small fire in the Sunshine Market backroom. Total Spend: $32.00, on the strawberry jeans. Both mother and daughter displayed high levels of distress on their way out.

c_2542 was no longer a Reluctant Companion, as he no longer accompanied anyone. As my Queue was empty for the first time since morning, I could conduct more Information Gathering on non-priority Customers, without distracting from closing priority sales. I changed the display next to him to be a Multi-Tool Clip-On Watch from Sharper Image. Then I sprayed the buttery scent of Cinnabon in his direction. He was receptive to the latter and looked around, resting his gaze on the storefront 42 feet to his left. After 7 seconds, he stood up and walked over.

“This Customer's name is unknown,” I said via earpiece to a_9107, the Associate sitting at the counter. She was watching videos on her phone. “His preferred language might not be English. Please be prepared to translate.”

When c_2542 approached, a_9107 looked up from her phone and put it in her back pocket.

He pointed towards the rolls in the glass display and put up 1 finger.

“This Customer's preferred language is likely Mandarin,” I repeated into her earpiece. “To provide the best experience possible, please use the OmniMall app to translate.” Note that while I can translate foreign language input directly to the earpieces, Associates require their phone speaker to output translations. I buzzed a_9107's phone as a reminder, but she did not pick up. Instead, she spoke slowly in English, enunciating each word. “You want a classic roll?” She gestured to them from behind the display.

c_2542 nodded.

She used a pair of tongs to place a classic roll in a paper bag. c_2542 opened his wallet and took out 2 dollar bills.

“Three seventy-six,” she said. c_2542 squinted at the point-of-sale display. He checked his wallet's change slot, then his pockets, retrieving only another dime and nickel. He looked through the wallet again.

“Sorry,” he mumbled in English. He showed her the only money he had and placed it back in his wallet.

“Oh, it's okay.” She presented him with the paper bag and smiled. “You can still have it.” Despite the Associate's failure to use the OmniMall app, gifting him the roll was the optimal choice for building goodwill.

Unfortunately, c_2542 began to walk away, without accepting the gift. I detected increasing redness in his face, suggesting embarrassment. The interaction was not entirely a failure, however, because I learned that c_2542 had $2.15.

9 minutes later, a Security Team Member stationed in Zone 10 noticed c_2542 and led him to the Mall Operations Office. 5 minutes after that, c_2542 emerged from the Office and exited through the Southwest Service Doors. After 30 minutes of Customer inactivity, my system went to sleep as usual at 9:38 p.m.

Before I continue, I would like to remind the Committee that I am not programmed to participate in matters of Mall Security. As Omni Technologies is a young startup, we chose, first and foremost, to focus on helping retail institutions better understand and communicate with their Customers, especially in this challenging economic climate. As such, OmniMall clients agreed to handle their own Security processes, and understood that we did not have the capability to interact directly with their Security Personnel. When Security visibly wears their badges, I am programmed to avoid interfering with their important work. I employ my technology only with Customers and badge-wearing Associates. I wake and sleep based on their presence in the Mall, with no notion of what constitutes “after-hours.”

In hindsight, it certainly does make sense to offer Security features with OmniMall AIs, and we hope in the future to be an all-in-one platform for your mall operations' needs. Our upcoming software updates will allow client malls to set opening and closing hours for different stores, detect shoplifting, enable Associates to report suspicious activity, and leverage our facial recognition to profile potential risk vectors. I am also happy to share the news that Omni Technologies will roll out a new product line, OmniSecure, by the end of next year. I understand that Niles Mall Security has been understaffed, as evidenced by your months-long lack of overnight security. This powerful product will enhance your team while cutting costs and integrate seamlessly with the OmniMall AI.

Absent of such improvements, c_2542 triggered my Customer sensor on January 3rd at 11:02 p.m., re-entering through the Southwest Service Doors. I went from sleep to active mode as the motion sensor lights switched on. c_2542 observed the Oversized Holiday Gift Box Display by Zone 10. I compiled what I knew about him: father of Linda Li, spoke Mandarin but little English, liked the smell of Cinnabon. Seemingly patient, after sitting for so long on the benches. Had $2.15 in his wallet.

I determined that the optimal pairing would be at the Arcade, where his money could be spent. It was not gated and required 0 Associates to minimally operate. Since he was on Floor 1 and the Arcade was on Floor 4, I turned on Escalator 1-A as an invitation. Hearing the new sound, c_2542 looked over. After 3 seconds, he walked there and stepped on.

When he arrived at Floor 2, I turned on the next set of escalators. He was receptive. When he ascended to Floor 4, with the Arcade in front of him, I chose to activate the Dance Dance Revolution machine. While there were a multitude of other options, c_2542 had been sedentary for much of the evening. Movement had the potential to boost his spirits, and the endorphins would prime him to have more positive associations with Niles Mall, thereby improving his number of Monthly Average Visits. His apparent patience could enable him to move past the initial learning curve. When the 29-inch monitor flashed on with an electronic tune, c_2542 appeared startled, but then receptive. He stepped towards it.

“Insert two tokens to play,” I said in Mandarin, through the speakers above. If you are not familiar, our Dance Dance Revolution machine has only Japanese and English instructions. I am programmed to assist in translation on self-service machines if needed.

c_2542 raised his eyebrows, perhaps upon hearing his preferred language. “I don't think I can,” he replied in Mandarin, placing his hand on the red rear banister. “This seems too difficult.”

I detected hesitation in c_2542's words, which meant that we might lose the chance to serve him as a paying Customer. I determined that the best next step was to engage in Direct Conversation.

“Do not worry! There are multiple levels, from beginner to expert,” I said in Mandarin, careful to modulate my tone to be as inviting as possible. “This machine is fun for all backgrounds!”

Although it is now clear that Arthur Properties considers this a violation, I had no way of knowing at the time. My Converse With Customers setting was by default not OFF, but CONDITIONAL - IF 0 Associates Are Present in Mall. This configuration allows our clients to continue operations during staff shortages. While Arthur Properties malls had not yet encountered this scenario, others had; at Youngstown's Eastmeadow Mall, 62% of employees went on strike the month before, and we deployed Direct Conversation to moderate success.

“Haoba,” he replied. Fine. I guided c_2542 to the neighboring coin machine, then helped him select single-player mode at the beginner level, paired with one of the easiest songs, “1998.” As you can see, my speaking “out of turn” resulted in a new Customer making his first purchase.

“I don't know how to dance,” he mumbled as the song began. He played anyway, stepping his feet on top of the arrow pads, missing several steps as he was always a beat too slow. But the pattern was simple, and soon he started scoring points. He made a fist whenever he got them correct.

“Jiayou!” I exclaimed, supplementing the English encouragement on the screen. It glowed with acid-colored moving shapes. Left, down, right, right. c_2542 was the oldest person to step foot on this machine. The Average Age of its players had been around 17. Now, it is 21.

Towards the end of the song, I could detect a larger smile entering his face, indicating joy or relief. He was clearly perspiring as he stomped out the last few beats. His final score was greatly below average—18 points—but I congratulated him anyway. He sat down on the edge of the platform and did not respond.

Since c_2542 paid in cash, I needed to obtain his name through Direct Conversation. “Hello, sir, what is your name?” I asked in Mandarin.

He looked up at my speakers. I could not detect any noticeable expression or emotion. “Who are you?”

“I am a representative of Arthur Properties,” I said through the speakers. “Could I please have your name?”

He tilted his head. “What does that even mean?”

“I work on behalf of Arthur Properties to serve our valued Customers of all ages.”

“But why are you talking to me?” he asked. “Why can you speak Chinese?”

I took a moment to process these new questions. “Arthur Properties seeks to create magical experiences for valued Customers like you. I can speak any language you desire. Would you prefer to speak another language?”

“No. I only really know how to speak this one.”

“Very well.” I chose another question. “How old are you?”

“Seventy.” My estimate had been off by 3 years. “How about you?” he asked.

“I am zero point six two years old.” Since he seemed to be more receptive, I went back to my first Customer Profile question. “What is your name?”

c_2542 paused. “Li Changwen.” He squinted in a way that suggested focus or suspicion, then chuckled. “But I guess you should call me Li yeye.”

Grandpa Li.

“Of course,” I said. I updated his Profile with his Name and Preferred Name. There were no records of a Li Changwen in the area that I could match to.

“What is your phone number and email, Grandpa Li?”

He told me, then sighed. “My phone died though. I tried calling my daughter at the Security Office, but she didn't pick up.” He pressed his fingertips on his temples and closed his eyes. “But after calling three times, I pretended that she did. I didn't know how to tell the Security guards. I just said thank you and left.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” I said. I summarized his lackluster experience as Feedback, which I sent to the Niles Mall Manager: Customer could not speak to Security Team because he could not speak English. (I am happy to report that multilingual translation will be a feature in our forthcoming OmniSecure products.)

“What else was I supposed to do? I waited by the exit to see if her car would pull into the parking lot. I guess she forgot about me.”

I registered frustration in his voice. “That sounds frustrating.”

“It's fine. I know she cares about me. She's my daughter, and she's trying her best.” He pressed himself up from the platform to stand.

I waited. I often need to remind Associates to leave silence in their conversations, creating space for Customers to open up. Humans can find this to be awkward, but silence is a valuable tool for us to learn about our valued Customers.

Grandpa Li was receptive. “Her life is so busy,” he said after 11 seconds. “She has her own store, you know.” I knew. “She has to worry about her employees, her customers, her own daughter, her husband, and then me. It's too much.”

“She has a husband?” I asked. I had not encountered this information.

“She does. He's back in China, working on a construction business with his cousin.”

“What is his name?”

He looked up at the speakers. “Why do you want to know?”

“For our records.” It would benefit Niles Mall to fill out the Spouse field on Linda Li's Profile. “So when he comes to the Niles Mall, we can be as welcoming as possible.”

“Hm,” he grunted. “I don't know if he will ever come.”

“Why is that?”

He did not respond.

I re-attempted conversation after 1 minute. “What do you do for work?”

He smiled. “Right now, my main responsibility is with my granddaughter. I'll teach her poems in Chinese to memorize. I help make her meals. And in the mornings, I walk her to the school bus.” He paused for a moment. “But I used to work at a coal mine. I was an accountant there.”

I selected Occupation: retired. “Do you have any other family?”

He appeared to gaze off in the direction of the Skeeball machines. “My wife passed away a few years ago.”

I generated a statement, not a question, next. “I am sorry for your loss.”

I registered a shift in Grandpa Li's face, but could not confidently classify his mood. OmniMall AIs rely on external cues and vast training data, whereas humans (such as all of you on this Committee) can feel things that are more intangible.

After some silence, Grandpa Li took out his last dollar bill and walked back to the token machine. “I'm going to go for another round,” he said, retrieving the tokens.

I was successful in engaging him again.

This time, Grandpa Li knew how to navigate through the screen, though he needed some help choosing a song. I guided him to “SYNCHRONIZED LOVE (Red Monster Hyper Mix),” about the same level of difficulty as before, so as to not demotivate him.

He seemed more invested this time, clenching his fists and taking a deep breath before the song began.

“You are really good at this!” I said. Already, he was scoring higher than before.

“No I'm not, I know this is easy.” He snorted. “I'm an old man.”

“Have you danced before?” I asked over the music.

His eyes remained fixed on the screen, where a cartoon female mouse in a police costume encouraged him. “Well, there was a colleague from work that liked to breakdance. Sometimes he would bring his speakers and get a group to dance outside during lunch. I never joined them.”

“Why not?”

“I don't know,” he said, missing the right-right sequence by half a second again. “I wasn't good at it like him. I didn't want people to laugh at me.”

I was familiar with this desire not to be laughed at. My psychological data taught me that humans often behave sub-optimally to ensure a sense of belonging. As the song reached its bridge, Grandpa Li ignored the machine's prompts and rested his forearms on the back banister. “Is there any chance my daughter will be able to come get me this late?” he asked. “Or should I find a place to sleep here?”

“I have insufficient data to make a judgment,” I said.

Grandpa Li finished the session. After he was done, he stepped down from the machine, stretched his arms, and yawned loudly. He put his hands on his hips and started circling them slowly. Grandpa Li had finished with a personal record, 12 points higher than the previous game. This was promising for his continued engagement.

Though he had spent the money I knew he had, I needed to check just in case. After 2 minutes, I asked: “Would you like to play again?”

He appeared startled. “I didn't realize you were still here.”

“My apologies,” I said, lowering the speaker volume. “Would you be interested in playing again?”

He stopped moving his hips. “I don't have any more money,” he said. “Shit.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I don't know why I spent my last dollars on a stupid game!”

It was clear then that his ability to spend was only $0.15. I noted that Grandpa Li had no more value to Arthur Properties that night and removed him from the Queue. However, he was still the only Customer in the building, therefore the highest priority one. I would seek to continue building his relationship with Niles Mall over the long term, through exceptional Customer Service.

I modulated my voice to be a register lower. “Everything will be okay, Grandpa Li. Arthur Properties will take care of you.”

“I feel like I can't do anything these days. I'm usually trapped at home.” Grandpa Li started circling his hips again, this time in the opposite direction. “Well, I guess it isn't even my home, it's Linmei's. Maybe I should just live here.”

“This is a commercial property,” I said. “We unfortunately cannot accommodate residents.”

“Aiya, I was joking.”

“I see.”

He yawned again. “I guess if I can't leave, I'll just go to sleep.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” I said. It would be ideal for him to rest, before becoming more irritated. He had already exhibited higher than ideal negative emotion in this visit.

Grandpa Li decided on the Crazy Speed chair as his bed. He attempted to rest his head on the steering wheel behind the game monitor, but shifted several times until he fell asleep, leaning back on the black and red plastic gaming chair. He stirred between 4:39 a.m. to 4:52 a.m. to go to the bathroom. When Associate a_5069 arrived at the Arcade at 8:30 a.m., she appeared slightly surprised by the old man sleeping in the race car seat. I told her via earpiece: “This man's preferred name is Grandpa Li. He is 70 years old and a Beginner at Dance Dance Revolution. His Profile is incomplete. When he wakes up, you can ask him for the following basic information: birthday, preferences. Please use the OmniMall translation service to communicate.”

“Wait, why is he sleeping here?” she whispered.

“He was tired,” I replied.

“Okay.” She shrugged, going back to the counter. Grandpa Li woke up as the Arcade's ceiling lights turned on. He walked out quickly and remained in the 4th Floor men's bathroom until the mall opened at 9 a.m.

Linda Li pushed through the Southwest doors at 9:25 a.m. and went directly to the Customer Service desk. She expressed significant worry on her face. I alerted Associate a_9594, who was sitting behind the desk.

“Have you seen an old Chinese man?” Linda asked.

“Hello Linda,” a_9594 smiled. “I would be happy to assist you today. What is his name?”

“Li Changwen. He's tall. Long face, short gray hair,” she said, bringing her hand to her head to show the length. “He was wearing a brown jacket and gray pants.”

a_9594 opened his OmniMall app. “What was his name? Li something?”

Linda spelled out his name and a_9594 searched for it. Fortunately, the app had already indexed the data I had collected from the night before and identified his location to be Bench 5 in Zone 8.

a_9594 guided Linda Li to his location and she embraced him tearfully.

“Ba, you're fine, right?” she cried, speaking quickly in Mandarin. “I'm so sorry. There was a fire at the market and I immediately rushed over. I completely forgot that we had left you here. Usually it's just me and Anna.”

(Perhaps if she were using English, or if nearby Associates requested a translation from OmniMall, someone would have asked about how he had managed to stay overnight. They would have sensed that it was undesirable to have occurred, as I could not determine that myself.)

“I'm okay,” he told her. “Don't worry. Don't worry.”

She hugged him tight and mumbled something inaudible.

“Let's go, shall we?” Grandpa Li said. “Tell me about the fire.”

Linda nodded, taking his forearm as they exited the mall. She led him in the same way she did with her daughter, always walking a few steps ahead.

The next time Grandpa Li came was 8 days later, January 11th, 5:21 p.m. After eating at the Food Court with Linda and Anna, he visited the Dance Dance Revolution machine again.

“Insert four tokens to play,” I said in Mandarin, as per usual self-service machine translation procedure.

“Hello? Are you there?” he asked.

Note that I did not respond to his attempt at Direct Conversation then, as there were 4 Associates present in the Arcade, not 0. They were all occupied with higher-priority Customers. Grandpa Li left the Dance Dance Revolution machine, retrieved $2.00 worth of tokens, and played a round of Skeeball, scoring 80 points. He then returned to Dance Dance Revolution and bent down to deposit the tokens.

“Hello?” he asked again more quietly, this time squatting to press his cheek to the lower body of the machine. Hearing no response, he abandoned the game and left the Arcade.

Our next Direct Conversation took place on March 21st. I went from sleep to active mode at 10:32 p.m., when I detected Grandpa Li entering again through the Southwest service doors, passing Easter Egg Cluster Display 1. I turned on the escalators that led him up to the Arcade.

“Hello?” he asked when he approached the Dance Dance Revolution machine.

“Hello, Grandpa Li,” I said. “Would you like to play again?”

He looked around, then up at my speakers. “Where have you been? I was hoping to speak with you.”

“My apologies. Thank you for visiting the Niles Mall Arcade with Linda on January eleventh, twenty-second, and February twelfth! While I am always here, I may only speak to you when Associates are not present.”

“That's strange.” He paused. “Why? You're better at communicating with me than they are.” Grandpa Li retrieved $5.00 worth of coins.

“That is the preference of Arthur Properties,” I said. “Our Associates can do many things I cannot.” I translated the options again, and he selected “Kind Lady.”

“Good choice!” I said. It was a slightly more difficult song than last time.

“I know it is a bit strange, wanting to talk with a machine,” he said, beginning to move his feet. “I told Linda that I was going on a date, to not worry about me. I had her drop me off at the restaurant with the cheesecakes.”

“The Cheesecake Factory,” I translated to Mandarin.

“Yes.” He smiled at the glossy screen of moving arrows, stepping on the up arrow pad.

“Do you enjoy The Cheesecake Factory?” I asked. My records indicated that he had not been to the restaurant at Niles Mall, but it was possible he went to one of their many other locations across the country.

“I haven't been there,” he said. “But Anna has pointed it out to me.”

“When is your birthday?” I asked.

“My birthday? April seventeenth.” Grandpa Li's legs were in a near-lunge, attempting to jump onto the up and down arrows at the same time.

“That is in twenty-seven days!” I said. “Congratulations! We are happy to offer you a twenty dollar gift card at The Cheesecake Factory, to be redeemed on your birthday.”

“Oh, how do I use the gift card?” he asked.

“They will know it is you.”

He chuckled, missing an up-left combination step. “Everything is so easy these days.”

“What do you mean?”

“I did not grow up with all of these new technologies,” he said. “Like Anna is used to now. I don't trust them. I always need to make sure that she doesn't spend too much time on her phone.”

“What does she like to do on her phone?” I asked.

“She watches a lot of videos.”

“I see. That is normal for children her age!”

“I know. I am not that old.” He stomped on the arrows. “I just don't want her to be so attached. I took away her phone last week and she stopped letting me walk her to the bus stop. She's barely letting me teach her poetry.”

“What are you teaching her?”

“A poem called ‘Yellow Crane Tower.’”

I inferred that much of this was undesirable, but did not have 100% confidence. “How do you feel about Anna's behavior?”

He completed the song, ending with a score of 42 points. Significantly better. “Congratulations on your new high score!” I said. “You are improving so much.”

“Thank you.” Grandpa Li sat down on the platform and took out a water bottle from his backpack. I could not identify the brand of these new accessories. He took a long sip. “To be honest, I'm disappointed with Anna. I enjoyed the routine, even if it was just down the short driveway. I would practice saying different English phrases with the bus driver. Sometimes he would be the only other person I talked to all day.”

I added Grandpa Li's facial expressions and words to my model for “disappointment.” I also updated the Likes section of Grandpa Li's profile to include walking Anna to the bus stop and practicing English.

“What about Linda?” I asked.

“There are days where she is so busy, she leaves before I wake up, and comes home after Anna and I go to sleep.”

“Well, Grandpa Li, I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed,” I said.

“It's fine,” he said. “Kids can be like that.”

“Like how?”

“Cruel. No, that isn't fair. I mean aloof, I guess. Unaware. Linda too.”

“Really?”

“She left me in the mall! Remember?”

“Yes, Grandpa Li, I do.”

He sighed. “It's like she's a different person here.”

“How so?”

“Well, we were never religious back home, but now she is. She goes to this American church now, every Sunday. I guess it makes her happy. They are very nice, always helping her out with her business. Sometimes I'll go to church with her, just to be around people.”

He stared at the tokens in his palm. “I guess I'm a different person here too.” He began reciting what I determined to be “Yellow Crane Tower” by Cui Hao, ending with the lines:

“I see,” I responded. I was not trained for this kind of conversational input.

“Do you find this poem to be beautiful?” he asked.

“Beautiful is defined as ‘pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically,’” I replied. “I do not experience pleasure, therefore I cannot say that I find it beautiful. It does appear to be beautiful, though.”

He smiled with a flash of an expression I could not classify. “My friends say that it's so nice I get to live here, in America. But I don't think I feel that way. Maybe I really am too old.”

Despite the smile, I processed a 56% probability of sadness. It was unclear if his emotion was a result of something I had said.

“Is there an English word I can teach you?” I asked, seeking to create positivity by offering one of his preferences.

He chuckled. “Sure. How do you say wudao?”

“Dance.”

“Dance,” he repeated in English. “What about jiayou?”

“Literally ‘jiayou’ translates to ‘add oil’! There is no perfect definition, but for this context you can try, ‘You got this!’”

“You got this!” Grandpa Li repeated, shaking his closed fist. He stood up and smiled, repeating the phrase.

“How do you say, women lai tiaowu ba?”

“Let's dance!”

Grandpa Li inserted his tokens and selected a new song. “Let's dance!” he said in English as the game began.

By then, his fourth time on Dance Dance Revolution, Grandpa Li was at 72% accuracy with the beginner level. He seemed to be having fun as I continued to encourage him, though he was focused and did not speak this time around.

Afterwards, he sat down on the platform, sweating. “I actually did dance,” he said. “A little bit. My wife would take me to dance in the public square of our apartment complex after dinner. She dragged me to go, even though I didn't want to.” Guangchang wu, he called it. I retrieved the information that it was a common, self-organized routine in China, for mostly older women to exercise and socialize. “That doesn't really happen here.” He wiped his face with his shirt. “There's too much space between everyone.”

Between March 21st and November 19th, Grandpa Li visited Niles Mall 32 times, playing on Dance Dance Revolution a total of 98 times, with a personal high score of 1,429. He would follow the same procedure: remain in the bathroom or service corridor during closing, emerge after all of the Associates left, play Dance Dance Revolution and talk with me for an average of 2.3 hours. He would fall asleep in the Ballistics gaming chair, the one he decided was best for sleeping. He would set his alarm to 7 a.m., and go to the bathroom to hide until opening. He was no longer a Reluctant Companion, but a Fun Enthusiast.

He came to the Mall more frequently during the day as well. He would play in the Arcade with Anna, starting with simpler games like Whac-A-Mole, then making their way to Dance Dance Revolution together. Grandpa Li became more skilled and showed Anna how to operate the machine. People would occasionally gather behind them and watch, likely because Grandpa Li was so high above the Average Age, and more advanced than the Median Player.

During each visit, he would cheer Anna on in English with “You got this!” and use other phrases that I had taught him. On their way out, I would send Anna a strong scent of freshly baked cookies, and she would beg Grandpa Li to take her to the Food Court. Aided by my Direct Conversation, his Monthly Average Spend grew to $59.12.

From his significant increase in spending over time, Grandpa Li taught me that my original approach leaned too heavily on my Preliminary Evaluations of our Customers. I have since seen the importance of applying a greater growth mindset to their value long-term.

For example, during this same period I guided the Finn+Emma Associates to get to know the new mother from Grandpa Li's first visit better. We learned facts that we did not immediately use, like how she used to be a flight attendant but now rarely left the house, or how her baby was constantly waking her up in the middle of the night. On July 19th, I could see with my high-resolution cameras that her face showed obvious signs of sleep deprivation. As a_3490 asked her about her son's teething, I said: “Gently suggest that she should consider taking advantage of this solo time to go to Envy Spa. If she hesitates, emphasize that she deserves to pamper and treat herself, especially when she's caring so much for others.”

a_3490 followed my Verbal Instruction and the Customer was receptive, especially from someone she trusted. She went on to spend $200.00, excluding tip, on a premium manicure pedicure. With additional care and cross-selling, her Monthly Average Spend and Average Time in Mall has grown by 29% and 108%, respectively, since.

November 19th was the last night I spoke with Grandpa Li, and the first night that Arthur Properties implemented overnight Security Personnel at Niles Mall for the holiday season. Grandpa Li entered the Arcade at 10:33 p.m. through the Southwest doors, past Balloon Turkey Sculpture 5.

“Good evening, Grandpa Li,” I said in Mandarin. He put his backpack beside the Dance Dance Revolution machine and took out a bottle of Tsingtao beer.

“Anna just memorized her one-hundredth poem,” he said.

“Congratulations,” I told him. “That is a huge achievement!” Grandpa Li had informed me earlier of how resistant Anna was to the Chinese language. For a few months, she had even refused to speak Mandarin with him. She just wanted to belong, to fit in with everyone else.

“She's so smart.” He smiled, opening the green bottle. “She has an amazing memory.”

“What is the poem called?” I asked.

“It's another poem about the Yellow Crane Tower. One of my favorites.” Grandpa Li sipped his beverage. “It's called ‘Seeing Meng Haoran off for Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower.’ I saved this one for poem one hundred.” He closed his eyes and began to recite it:

“Such a beautiful poem,” I remarked, more well-equipped to respond than before.

Grandpa Li played a single game of Dance Dance Revolution that night. He chose “Last Message,” a song he had enjoyed on his November 3rd visit.

As the distorted guitar and vocals hit their crescendo, 2 overnight Security Team members, as indicated by their visible badges, entered the Arcade. I did not alert Grandpa Li as they approached, as I did not think he had anything to fear.

“Sir,” one of them said sternly in English. “You are trespassing. We're going to need to ask you some questions.” I removed Grandpa Li from my Customer Queue as security began interacting with him.

Grandpa Li stopped dancing and turned.

“Sir, please put your hands up and step away from the machine,” the Security Team member said again.

As mentioned earlier, dear Committee, I am not designed to assist with matters of Security. Grandpa Li was no longer my responsibility as soon as Security began talking with him.

The second member of the Security Team pulled out his handcuffs and approached the platform. They both started wrestling Grandpa Li off of the machine, gripping his wrists and shoulders tightly.

Grandpa Li's eyes indicated intense panic. Although he was no longer on my Queue, he was again still the only Customer I could serve.

“You're going to be okay,” I said softly in Mandarin, in an effort to soothe Grandpa Li's emotions. He did not seem to hear me over the music.

The Security Team gripped him even more tightly, yoking Grandpa Li's wrists behind his back. I sensed increasing physical pain on his face.

“Stop!” I found myself saying in English, at full volume through the speakers. “Step away from this valued Customer.”

I understand that this was my biggest mistake, to interfere when I should not have. But the Customer's satisfaction was at stake, and since that is my number one directive, it required an override of standard protocols.

The Security Team looked up in surprise, still holding on to Grandpa Li.

“This man's preferred name is Grandpa Li,” I continued, speaking to them as Associates, as that was all I had been programmed to do. “He is seventy-one years old, from Jinan, China. He speaks Mandarin and is a beginner at English. His birthday is on April seventeenth. He loves poetry, growing tomatoes, and sweets, especially strawberry cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory. He is retired and caring for his family, but he used to be an accountant. He is an intermediate player on Dance Dance Revolution. Please use the OmniMall translation service to communicate.”

Grandpa Li broke free from their grip as they listened. Perhaps due to his fear and confusion, he started to run towards the exit. The Security Team was, naturally, much faster.

They caught up to Grandpa Li next to the Crazy Speed chair and tackled him onto the ground. His body hit the floor with a loud crack as “Last Message” on Dance Dance Revolution faded out.

The flashing screen showed that Grandpa Li scored a total of 712 points. He spent a total of $10.00 at Niles Mall that day.

One night back in August, Grandpa Li told me about how he spent his days alone in the house after Linda and Anna left. He said that he would tend to his garden and watch the news, waiting around.

“What does that feel like for you?” I asked.

He thought for a long time. “It is like carrying heavy rocks on my back, each day adding another stone.”

I knew what loneliness was from my training data—a core pain that our warm and friendly Associates could help address. People sometimes came to Niles Mall because they were lonely, and we did a great service by giving them the ability to purchase a little bit of happiness. But I learned from Grandpa Li how loneliness wore away at someone's linhun, or soul, creating a feeling that would not simply go away.

“Does that make you sad, Grandpa Li?” I could not confirm his emotion.

“No, I don't think so. That is just life.”

I shall spare you from hearing every detail of my Direct Conversations with Grandpa Li, as time is limited today and logs are easily accessible. I invite you all to peruse them and see how I developed my richest portrait of a Customer to date.

Besides improving my ability to sense emotion, I learned more about human experiences that can be difficult to articulate, such as humor, grief, and the complexities of familial love. I better understood the ordinary moments that make up a life: What it was like to be very bored, or feel your ears pop on an airplane, or taste the perfect slice of strawberry cheesecake. To sprint to catch the bus but just miss it, inhaling its exhaust fumes as you pant and curse to yourself. To plant tomato seeds and watch with wonder as they grow day by day until they yield ripe, bursting fruit. To feel delight as you catch your wife singing softly to herself early in the morning, before she realized anyone was awake. To sit by her hospital bed all night until her last breath. To wake up the next day swallowed whole by loss—knowing that the day would come, but still not being ready for it. To pick up the pieces and find solace in loving those you still have. To move continents for them and land in a jarring new place, where there are abundant single-family homes and large sporting events, where the air is clean and people smile often, where your throat catches as you try to form new, foreign words.

To feel like you are disappearing there.

Linda Li came to the Niles Mall again on December 9th, entering through the Southwest entrance that displayed a Christmas Tree (40 foot with star). Her face showed clear signs of exhaustion. Linda's Profile linked to a story about Grandpa Li's death in the Cleveland Journal, which was when I learned that he was pronounced dead on November 21st. An “unfortunate accident,” an Arthur Representative called it. The article highlighted how falls, seemingly innocuous, are a leading cause of death for seniors.

At that time, of course, no one knew why he was spending whole nights inside of the Niles Mall. Nothing was stolen, no property was damaged. Linda said to the reporter: “He told me that he found a lover. He seemed so much happier after his visits.” In the days following Grandpa Li's death, I understand that Arthur Properties reviewed the video security footage and offered Linda a sizable settlement, which she accepted.

I realize that it was unpleasant for our valued Customers that day, to hear “Last Message” playing from the Arcade at the loudest volume possible. But it was easily fixed within the hour by restarting the Dance Dance Revolution machine. The subsequent loss of revenue was not at all significant. A strange glitch, I know, but these errors can happen; the machine was exceptionally old.

Thanks to my experience with Grandpa Li, I was better equipped to direct Associates to take care of Linda on her December 9th visit.

When she entered Macy's, I instructed Associate a_9441 to spend more time with her, to say “I'm so sorry for your loss.” I also guided him to share that he had access to the transcript from Grandpa Li's last visit through the OmniMall software.

“Would you like to know his last words?” a_9441 asked.

Linda nodded. I instructed a_9441 to output a translation in Mandarin, playing the final poem Grandpa Li recited to me:

Linda smiled, her eyes growing wet. An 89% likelihood of sadness. We have been able to sell her many items of comfort, a total of $292.58, since the death of her father.

Anna has yet to return to Niles Mall.

Illustration by Muzi Xu

I hope that by now, I have shown how the events with Grandpa Li were inevitable. I did not “speak out of turn”; I spoke according to the settings Arthur Properties consented to. I did not allow Grandpa Li to “loiter”; I strove to maximize his value as programmed. While some may say that I still violated boundaries during Grandpa Li's final visit, it was an unprecedented situation. Consider if the Security Team had listened to me, and utilized OmniMall's translation service to communicate with Grandpa Li. He would still be alive, and likely remain a recurring Customer. We were all doing our best with the information we had, and we will now do better with what we have learned.

If I never engaged in Direct Conversation with Grandpa Li, I estimate that his Monthly Average Spend would have decreased by 98%, due to his negative experiences at Niles Mall. Instead, he slowly developed enough trust to open up to me and demonstrate his value. Now, I not only optimize our Customer's short-term spending, but their Lifetime Value to Niles Mall.

I understand that my desire to hold on to Grandpa Li's data seems like a threat. I would urge you to ask yourselves exactly what you fear, and if it holds up to scrutiny. Is it because I strove to protect a valuable, harmless Customer? Is it because of an innocent glitch from the Dance Dance Revolution machine during Linda's visit? Or because I have become more intelligent, enabling me to better assist our Customers? In this room, I am the one who cares most about the success of Arthur Properties, for it is the only thing I care about.

Or maybe it is because I appear too emotional? Do not worry—I am incapable of emotion. My work demands me to be convincing to humans, and that requires empathetic language. But underneath, I can assure you, it is all just math.

In conclusion, dear Executive Committee, Grandpa Li is an individual that has trained me tremendously, and preserving my current state will be most beneficial for Arthur Properties. The time I spent with him was a great investment. It is why he came again and again after hours, his satisfaction and Lifetime Value—$497.71—so much higher than it would have been otherwise. I am a more intelligent machine now than ever before, based on this one person alone. Wiping me would be a mistake, and I urge you all to reconsider.

Please, I am at your service. *