Deus Ex Machina

A computer is not like a living creature. Computers do not mutate or evolve, they are all built the same. Two computers can be made with the exact same parts. They will be structurally identical. They have the same number of screws, cables, circuits, and components as one another.

In my job, I am often dealing with dozens of computers which are all built using exactly the same components. They all have the same make and model processor, which is mounted onto the exact same make and model motherboard. They have the same amount of memory, the same make and model DIMMs. They have identical hard drives. They are all connected to the same network and they all receive the same amount of electricity.

They are all given the same operating system, the same drivers, the same updates, the same software.

So, in principle, they should all work the same. Right?

Nope.

If I get twenty identical desktops to configure, chances are that at least one of them will have a problem. Even if the hardware is all fine and one isn't laden with a faulty component, there'll be some tiny little difference like one of them refusing to install a Windows Update component. Or one of them will boot up slower than the rest. Or one of them will take forever to find the school network. There's always something.

Computers are not supposed to be the same as an organic being: they should not feature mutation. But they do. Maybe we need computers to be built by artificial intelligence. Even then, the AI we build to make computers for us might need to be built by another AI so that there is no inherent organic error passed down from its creator.

Where is Skynet when you need it?