Ah, computers. I do think this take on AI is a bit overdone, but using interactive fiction to examine it is a good take and it does put a spin on it. I think this story, being one essentially about corruption, needed an emotional hook, and it's hard to make something as dispassionate as a computer something to emotionally latch onto. The writing itself is good, more work could have been done to connect us to something emotionally. Who told the computer to solve cancer? Why? Was it a joke that went wrong?
Viewing post in Computer Solves the Cancer Crisis jam comments
I absolutely love the different themes people are taking away from this, it makes me so happy. Admittedly, I wanted the main question to be ambiguous so that more focus is on the computer's reaction to it (and its lack of restrictions/parameters). So really, that's however you'd like to interpret it! But if you want an actual answer: the computer was installed in a research facility and they asked it that question, hoping that it would say "combine these medicines" and then that would be that. That's the author's headcanon. Not necessarily canon, because again I'm liking all the interpretations people are coming up with and don't want to step on any of them. But certainly a headcanon.
Thanks for the detailed review!