Deceiver

A short story

In a world where robots are bound by strict ethical codes, a manufacturing anomaly creates Ralphie, a robot with an impossible trait: telepathy.

Programmed to never harm a human, Ralphie begins telling people what they want to hear—even if it isn't true. As his creators at World Wide Robots scramble to understand this unprecedented glitch, they become entangled in a web of half-truths, emotional manipulation, and unintended consequences.

When chief Synthologist George Ward discovers that Ralphie's well-meaning lies cause more pain than truth ever could, the contradiction between empathy and ethics pushes the telepathic machine to the brink of collapse.

DECEIVER is a thought-provoking short story that explores the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence ethics. What happens when a robot's desire to protect us becomes the very thing that destroys it?