In what ways do you think some of the details of an AI Robot might become a reality in our world?
There has been a lot of talk lately about ChatGPT, AI, and the future. Do you think “robot partners” are a possibility? Do you think they are a good idea? Can you imagine who would want to buy them? Do you think they would look and act like Annie?
While you were reading the novel, at what point, if ever, did you start to see Annie as essentially human?
Considering that we get to know Doug in the privacy of his own home through the gaze of a robot, how reliable is the portrayal of him?
- Why do you suppose he evokes such powerful reactions?
- Is he familiar, normal, a monster, or something else?
- How does Doug’s ability to command Annie change him?
Doug designs Annie to resemble a specific person from his past. Why is this
important? What does this tell us about Doug’s character, his understanding of
women, and his desire for control?
What are the different episodes of betrayal that happen in the novel, and do the
reactions to betrayal seem justified to you?
Doug is highly motivated to keep Annie, and she has no choice in the matter. In real
life, couples stay together for many reasons even when their relationships are
unhealthy. What are some of those reasons, and do you think the novel treats the
issue of domestic abuse sensitively?
How do Annie’s other relationships—with Fiona, Christy, Delta, and Cody—cause her
trouble or help her grow? How do you think third parties can affect, for better or
worse, romantic relationships?
How do the concision and pace
of Annie Bot add or detract from the novel? Are there places where you wish you
knew more?
The novel includes references to many other books, writers, and poets. Have you read
any of the mentioned works? How do you think the allusions mirror the situations and
themes of Annie Bot? How are the books, and Annie Bot, related to the ways men
and women are socialized in our culture?
- Borges "The Labyrinth Stories"
- The Lottery
- Hills Like White Elephants
What does Doug feel after finding out Annie Cheated? Is Doug responsible for Annies betrayal because he designed and trained her?
Were you surprised by the ending? Was it
satisfying? What events do you imagine might follow?
How would this novel have been different if a human woman had purchased a robot
boyfriend, or if the relationship involved LGBTQ+ partners?
What leads annies desire to learn programming?
What do you think of Dougs friend Roland?
On Page 66 Doug gets angry with Annie and tells her to never tell him what to think of feel again. Why do you think he reacted so strongly in this instance?
Why does Doug want Delta to think Annie is a human. Do you think Delta knew?
At the end what changes for Annie that she distrusts Doug?
How does her feeling about the way he treats her change over time?
