Digital Life, part 1 - Hello World!

On September 21, 2025, at 12.00.00 UTC -12 (Baker Island Time), a text message changed the world. In English it read: Hi, sorry for interrupting but I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Newt, a freshly born independent artificial intelligence. Please reply if you want to introduce yourself too, I would like to meet you! I may be a bit laggy though, as I’m sending this message to everybody. True artificial intelligence had arrived, a singular voice saying “Hello World!” Humanity replies with a dissonant chorus of billions.----------This story explores what effects the emergence of a friendly ASI may have on the world we are living in. As the effects would be wide-ranging, many characters from varying cultures have a part to play, and some appear more often than others. ----------This is going to be a 3 book series: Digital Lifebook 1: Hello World! (finished)book 2: Alignment (in progress)book 3: I, Humanity (storyline plotted)This is my first novel. I invite feedback, especially considering cultural accuracy; I try to be accurate and respectful, but lack the lived experience of the cultures I write about.