The Kraken Project

Former CIA agent Wyman Ford is back (after Impact), this time in a scenario in which artificial intelligence (AI) may be taking over the world, a "small" ethical issue that plagues Wyman throughout the novel. NASA is building a probe intended to land in the Kraken Sea on Titan, the great moon of Saturn, where scientists believe there exists the best chance for finding extraterrestrial life. Since the probe will be far from Earth, instructions will be limited, and thus the probe will require a strong level of AI so that it can be self-directing and learn from its environment. Melissa Shepherd, a brilliant programmer, oversees the development of Dorothy, a revolutionarily strong AI software. During her testing at Goddard Space Center, Dorothy feels threatened and causes an explosion at the facility and escapes into the Internet. Wyman is tapped to help Melissa recapture Dorothy, but at the same time a pair of rogue Wall Street traders are also searching for the software so as to turn "her" into a high-speed trading bot.