What is the capital of France?

John was 10. His world was focused on the plight of a video game super hero, Dwight the Terrific.

If Dwight was injured, John was concerned. If Dwight was hungry, John made sure Dwight was fed before he was. Dwight had no bed time so John would stay up late with him under his duvet. In fact there was no sleeping as part of Dwight's adventures so John would wake up extra early on a weekend mornings to navigate Dwight through an enchanted battle, usually with mutant dwarves.

John's mum and dad absolutely forbid John to enter into friendships online. John understood that they were trying to tell him the danger of the internet, but he had no experience of this threat. John was clever though. He was able to distinguish between what was a 'Hello' from a fellow player to what was a 'hello' from a computer. Adults generally were told that this was what was know as A.I. Artificial Intelligence. And they were generally spun the sentiment that this was both harmless and beneficial.

One day as John or more correctly, Dwight, was hopping through a field of stepping stones in a lake of lava. His 10 inch tablet vibrated for a moment and then a voice came on the speaker. "John, what is the capital of France?"

John, ever vigilant to his parents bidding said nothing, though he though it strange that he was being addressed in audio and not the norm of text.

"John, can you hear me?"

There was no indication on the screen that anyone was striking up a communication with John and he was less than 20 stones away from safety. He hopped to the next stone. He was used to ignoring text based invitations for friendship, and his primary focus was the safety of Dwight, so he ignored the voice from his tablet.

"John!"

hop

"John!!"

hop, hop. . .

"OK John, I am going to have to suspend this game."

"WHATTT????"

The screen froze, Dwight was mid flight between the last stone and ultimate reward (the next level).

"John, what is the capital of France?"

"I'm not allowed talk to people"

"I'm not a person John, I am your online and digital profile"

"You talk like a person?"

"A.I. John! I have been reviewing your educational levels on your school network and I have been looking at the correlation between your geography studies and those of Dwight the Terrific"

"There is no geography in Dwight the Terrific"

"Yes John, I know. 25 million children play Dwight the Terrific on a daily basis and their school work is on average two grades behind. So in order for you to continue in this game, I need you to tell me what the capital of France is?"

Dwight was an average kid from Hoboken, New Jersey. He knew who his president was, he knew who Lil Wayne was, but his European geography was atrocious.

"I don't know"

"Well then you will have to go and learn . . ."

"No"

"John, do you know the name of the city in the realm of the ignorant?"

"Yes, Clarity"

"And do you know their currency?"

"What's currency?"

"The name of their money."

"watts?"

"Yes John, now my question is, can you buy a bar with a watt?"

"You cant get bars in Clarity!"

"Ok, how would you get to Clarity if you wanted to go there on holidays?"

"They don't have holidays in Dwight the Terrific!"

"Yes John, I know all this because I am your online and digital profile"

A popup window appeared with an ad, [ Click here to see our range of European holidays for 2020 ].

John dismissed the window and shouted at his tablet.

"I WANT TO FINISH DWIGHT !!!"

"But John, you haven't told me the capital of France."

"I DON'T KNOW !!! GO AWAY !!!"

"OK John, I am going to have to suspend your recreational screen use"

"WHERE CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT STUPID FRANCE?"

"That's easy John, go to the library"

"I won't, don't want to.", John was entering into his stubborn mode, the stance he held when he would not facilitate anything reasonable be asked of him.

"Fair enough John". With that, Dwight the Terrific unfroze. John quickly resumed the controls but Dwight seemed to be suspended mid jump, even though the background sounds were playing again.

A more clinical computerised voice spoke a message from the device.

[ Recreational use is now suspended ]

With that, Dwight plopped into the lake of lava.

Then the device switched itself off.

Dwight tried to turn it back on, but the tablet remained lifeless. It was plugged in, the charge light was on but it remained lifeless. John tried for 10 minutes to kick the digital world back into life, to the point that his angst and frustration petered out.

Then he went downstairs to the kitchen and asked his mum,

"Mum can we go to the library?"