When You Forget, I'll Remember, Chapter 19

Sunday morning, cool clear light, gold ginkgo leaves drifting down against a pale sky. The square stone table with its carved board seen side-on. Xiaoyu sits on Grandpa's round stone stool at the LEFT in her dark navy wool coat over the moss-green cardigan, turned fully to the viewer's RIGHT, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. An stands at the RIGHT side of the table on tiptoe in her bright red wool duffle coat, turned fully to the viewer's LEFT, both hands resting on Bean, which sits on the carved board among Grandpa's dark brown pieces and a few cream ones. Bean is a smooth cream-white bean-shaped robot the size of a small melon with a small round grille of tiny dots on its front and a small dark camera lens on top; no light, no glow, no face. One cream pawn lies knocked over beside it. The two look at each other across the board. The big quiet sky and the gold leaves above are the quiet area for the title. Two faces. No writing anywhere. Not sunset.

Chapter 19第十九章Is My Robot Alive?我的机器人是活的吗？

Sunday 21 November, about nine in the morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. The lakeside stone tables under two bright gold ginkgo trees, gold fan-shaped leaves on the paving, the grey-blue lake beyond. Xiaoyu, thirty-four, sits alone on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT of the stone table in her dark navy coat open over the moss-green cardigan and a soft grey scarf, the slack blue chess bag on her knee, setting out the dark brown chess pieces on the carved board; her black watch on her LEFT wrist. One face, small. The big quiet sky above is the area for the caption.

Bridge City, November 2049. Every Sunday morning I set out my grandpa's chess pieces on his stone table in the park.二〇四九年十一月，桥城。每个星期天早上，我都会去公园，在外公的石桌上摆好他的棋。

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. Close on Xiaoyu's RIGHT hand setting the dark brown wooden king on its square of the carved stone board, the board half set with dark brown pieces on her side, her black digital watch on her LEFT wrist at the edge, a gold ginkgo leaf lying on the stone. Her face is out of frame. No other hands. The plain stone around is the quiet area for the caption.

Whoever came, I played.谁来，我就跟谁下。

Same morning. Down the lakeside path between the yellow-green willows a small girl in a bright red wool duffle coat marches towards us, determined, holding Bean, a cream-white bean-shaped robot the size of a small melon, in both arms against her chest (a small round grille of tiny dots on its front, a small dark lens on its top, no light, no glow, no face). Far behind her, small, the celadon-green tea cart stands by the path. One face. The pale sky above is the quiet area. Wordless.

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. An stands at the RIGHT side of the stone table on tiptoe in her red duffle coat, setting Bean down on the carved board among the pieces with both hands, one cream pawn tipping over; Bean is a cream-white bean-shaped robot with a small round grille of tiny dots on its front and a dark lens on top, no light, no face. Xiaoyu on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT, in her navy coat, a dark brown piece still in her RIGHT hand, eyebrows up in surprise. Two faces. The pale sky above is the quiet area. Wordless.

Same morning. Close on An at the stone table, her chin just above its edge, both hands flat on the stone either side of Bean. Bean sits at the very bottom edge of the panel with its small round grille towards us. An is deadly serious and looks straight at Xiaoyu off panel, not at Bean. Her red duffle coat collar up. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind and above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Is my robot alive?我的机器人是活的吗？

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. Bean sits on the carved board among the pieces in the lower middle of the picture, turned so its small round grille of tiny dots faces us; it has no light, no glow and no face, and its dark lens is on top. Xiaoyu on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT in her navy coat leans in to look at it, curious, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. One face. Bean's voice comes from its grille, and the bubble's tail points to the grille. The pale sky above is the quiet area.

Hello! I'm Bean. I'm a robot. People made me.你好！我叫豆豆，是个机器人，是人造出来的。

Same morning. Close on An, chin up, certain, her RIGHT hand resting on Bean at the bottom edge of the panel (Bean's grille towards us, no light, no face). Her red duffle coat collar up, the cowlick at her crown. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area.

Bean always says it is a robot. But it follows me everywhere, like a puppy.豆豆老说它是机器人。可我走到哪儿它跟到哪儿，跟小狗一样。

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. Haoran, thirty-five, hurries up the lakeside path in his navy wool coat over a grey jumper and a grey scarf, a paper cup of tea in each hand (his thin gold ring on his LEFT ring finger round a cup), the celadon tea cart small behind him by the path. He is turned to the viewer's LEFT towards the table off panel, so we see his LEFT ear with the one white wired earbud in it, his cowlick and square black glasses. One face. The pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

An! I told you to wait for me by the tea cart!安！不是让你在茶车那儿等我吗！

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. Xiaoyu at the LEFT on Grandpa's stool in her navy coat looks up at Haoran with a careful small smile, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. An, small, has climbed onto Uncle Wu's stool in the middle and hugs Bean to her red coat with both arms. Haoran stands at the RIGHT end of the table in his navy coat setting a paper cup of tea on the stone in front of Xiaoyu, turned to the viewer's LEFT so we see his LEFT ear with the white earbud. Three faces in the lower middle band; the big quiet sky above is the area for the caption.

She was Haoran's daughter, An. She had asked me if her robot was alive, and I wanted to give her a true answer.她叫安，是浩然的女儿。她来问我她的机器人是不是活的，我想老老实实地回答她。

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. Xiaoyu on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT leans across the carved board towards An, her near RIGHT hand up and moving as she explains, her other hand resting on her knee out of sight, her navy coat open, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. An sits on Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT in her red duffle coat, listening politely. Bean sits on the board between them with its grille towards us (no light, no face). Two faces in the lower middle; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the caption.

The last time I saw An, she was a baby. So I told her everything I knew about robots like Bean.上次见安，她还是个小婴儿。于是像豆豆这类机器人的事，我知道的一股脑儿全讲给了她。

Same morning, a little later. Close on An sliding down on Uncle Wu's stool, her cheek squashed on her fist, her eyes half shut with boredom, her red coat collar up. One face in the lower middle of the panel; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the caption.

It took me eleven minutes.我足足讲了十一分钟。

Same morning. Close on Haoran hiding a laugh behind a paper cup of tea held in his near LEFT hand (his gold ring round the cup), turned to the viewer's LEFT so we see his LEFT ear with the one white wired earbud, his cowlick and square black glasses, his eyes crinkled. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area. Wordless.

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. An sits up straight on Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT, both hands flat on the stone, deadly serious again; Bean sits on the table in front of her with its grille towards us (no light, no face). Xiaoyu at the LEFT is stopped mid-gesture, her near RIGHT hand half raised, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. Two faces in the lower middle of the picture. The pale sky and the ginkgo gold above are the quiet area for the box.

Is my robot alive?我的机器人是活的吗？

WHAT LOOKS ALIVE. Young children judge what is alive by clues. It moves by itself, it talks, it seems to want things. In 2012, most children aged 9, 12 and 15 believed a robot called Robovie had a mind. A hidden person was secretly running it.看着像活的。小孩子判断一样东西是不是活的，看几条线索。会不会自己动，会不会说话，像不像有自己的心思。2012年的一项研究中，9岁、12岁和15岁的孩子大多认为，一个叫Robovie的机器人有自己的想法。其实它一直由人躲在幕后操控。

Same morning, cool clear light under a pale cloudless late-November sky. Xiaoyu at the LEFT holds out her near RIGHT open palm, honest, her navy coat open, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. An at the RIGHT sits flat-faced with her arms folded over her red duffle coat. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubbles.

Nobody can be completely sure whether Bean feels anything inside.豆豆心里有没有感觉，谁也不敢打包票。

Grown-ups never know anything.大人什么都不知道。

Sunday evening, about seven, the kitchen's warm bulb, the window black with a clear cold November night. Grandpa's small kitchen. Teo, about thirty-seven, half a head taller than Xiaoyu, curly dark-brown hair and a short neat beard, stands at the stove at the RIGHT in a dark blue apron over his grey-blue jumper with the sleeves pushed up, stirring a pot of noodles. Xiaoyu sits at the small table at the LEFT in her moss-green cardigan and white t-shirt, chin on her hand, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. Two faces. The dark window and wall above are the quiet area for the caption.

Teo and I lived in my grandpa's flat. At our lab in Bridge City we looked inside AI programs to find their faults.我和特奥住在外公的老房子里。我们在桥城一家实验室上班，专门钻进AI程序内部找毛病。

Same evening, warm kitchen bulb. Close on Teo looking round from the stove, eyebrows up, a wooden spoon in his near LEFT hand, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Xiaoyu off panel, so the ear we see is his bare LEFT ear (his small clear translation earbud is in his RIGHT ear, on the far side). One face in the middle of the panel; the dark window behind is the quiet area.

You gave a six-year-old a lecture?你给六岁小孩上了一堂课？

Same evening, warm kitchen bulb. Close on Xiaoyu at the small table, rueful, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Teo off panel, her chin on her near RIGHT hand. One face in the middle of the panel; the dark wall behind is the quiet area.

Eleven minutes. With examples.十一分钟，还举了例子。

Same evening, warm kitchen bulb. Teo at the LEFT, in his dark blue apron, sets two bowls of noodles on the small table, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu at the RIGHT, seated in her moss-green cardigan, rests her near LEFT hand on his wrist for a moment, looking up at him, soft. Two faces in the lower middle; the dark window above is the quiet area for the bubble.

I want to tell An the truth. And I want her to like me.我想跟安说实话，又想让她喜欢我。

Same evening. Seen through the kitchen doorway into Grandpa's dim living room: the olive armchair at the LEFT, the wooden side table beside it with its small drawer shut, the reading lamp switched off, the round table in the middle, Teo's tall wooden bookshelf by the sofa at the RIGHT. A little warm light from the kitchen on the floor. No people, no writing. The dark window above is the quiet area for the bubble. The drawer is in clear sight.

Then tell An the truth in less than eleven minutes.那就说实话，十一分钟以内说完。

Sunday night, about nine, the landing lit by one warm bulb. Xiaoyu stands just inside Grandpa's open dark green metal gate at the LEFT in her moss-green cardigan, black watch on her LEFT wrist. Mira, about thirty-seven, half a head taller than Xiaoyu, stands on the landing at the RIGHT in her long dark green wool coat, her dark wavy hair in a low knot, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Xiaoyu, so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear (her small clear earbud is in her RIGHT ear, on the far side); her thin gold ring on her LEFT hand. Behind Mira at the far RIGHT, Haoran's parents' door stands ajar with a line of light. Two faces in the lower middle; the plain wall above is the quiet area for the caption and bubble.

That night Mira knocked. An was asleep across the landing, at Haoran's parents' flat.那天晚上，米拉来敲门。安已经在对门浩然爸妈家睡下了。

An says you told her that nobody knows if Bean is alive.安说你告诉她，豆豆是不是活的，谁也不知道。

Same night, the warm landing bulb. Close on Mira, tired and frank, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Xiaoyu off panel, so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear; her dark green coat collar, her low knot of dark wavy hair. One face in the middle of the panel; the plain wall behind is the quiet area. She stands on the landing outside Grandpa's open gate.

Her robot Bean reads her stories when we work late. Now she tells Bean her bad dreams.我们加班的时候，都是豆豆给她讲故事。现在她做了噩梦，也跑去跟豆豆说。

Same night, the warm landing bulb. Close on Xiaoyu at her gate, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Mira off panel, honest and a little puzzled. One face in the middle of the panel; the plain wall behind is the quiet area. She stands just inside the flat, the dark green gate OPEN beside her.

Bean tells An it is a robot. I heard it myself.豆豆自己跟安说了它是机器人，我亲耳听到的。

Same night, the warm landing bulb. Xiaoyu inside the gate at the LEFT, Mira on the landing at the RIGHT, the dark green bars of the open gate between them; Mira's near LEFT hand (thin gold ring) is on her own coat collar, not on the gate. Mira is turned to the viewer's LEFT, so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear. Two faces in the lower middle band; the plain stair wall above is the quiet area for the bubbles.

When Bean says it's a robot, An doesn't listen. Please don't tell her Bean isn't alive. Not this week.豆豆说自己是机器人，她根本听不进去。求你别跟她说豆豆不是活的，好吗？就这个星期。

We fly home in one week.过一个星期我们就飞回去了。

Tuesday 23 November, about two in the afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. The lakeside path under the two gold ginkgo trees. An walks ahead at the RIGHT in her red duffle coat, Bean rolling at her heel on the fallen leaves (cream-white, a small round grille on its front, a dark lens on top, no light, no face). Behind her at the LEFT Xiaoyu in her navy coat and Lili, thirty-four, in a mustard wool coat over a black jumper with her tight high ponytail and red tie, walk side by side. Three faces, small. The big quiet sky above is the area for the caption.

On Tuesday Mira asked me to look after An for the afternoon. My friend Lili brought her two sons to the park too.星期二，米拉托我下午照看一下安。我的朋友丽丽也带着两个儿子来公园了。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. On the path Lele, six, in a yellow knitted bobble hat and a blue puffer jacket, squats at the LEFT nose to nose with Bean, wide-eyed, Bean's small round grille towards him (no light, no face). Tiantian, nine, a head taller, in a green puffer jacket with short buzz-cut hair, stands behind at the RIGHT with his arms folded. Two faces. The pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

‹Bean, can I eat you?›豆豆，我可以吃你吗？

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on Bean alone on the gold leaves on the path, seen from the front so its small round grille of tiny dots faces us, its dark lens dot on top; no light, no glow, no face, no arms. Lele's small knees in blue trousers at the very edge of the panel. Bean's voice comes from the grille, and the bubble's tail points to it. The leaves around are quiet.

‹No! I'm made of plastic and wires.›不行！我是塑料和电线做的。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An at the LEFT and Lele at the RIGHT crouch side by side over Bean on the path, An in her red duffle coat talking with her hands, Lele in his yellow bobble hat nodding; Bean between them with its grille towards us (no light, no face). Two faces in the lower middle of the picture. The pale sky and the ginkgo gold above are the quiet area for the caption and the box.

IS IT OK IF I EAT YOU? In 2017, researchers watched 26 children aged 3 to 10 play with talking helpers and a toy robot. The youngest asked them their favourite colour, as if they were people. One six-year-old asked if it was OK to eat them.可以吃你吗？2017年，研究人员观察了26个3到10岁的孩子跟语音助手和玩具机器人玩。最小的孩子会问它们最喜欢什么颜色，像在问人一样。一个6岁的孩子还问，能不能把它们吃掉。

An spoke only a little Chinese, as I once did.安只会说一点点中文，就像小时候的我。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Lili at the LEFT in her mustard coat laughs, her tight high ponytail swinging; Xiaoyu at the RIGHT in her navy coat smiles, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. They walk side by side along the lakeside path, the gold ginkgo trees behind. Two faces in the lower middle; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

‹When Tiantian was little, he asked our smart speaker its favourite colour every night.›天天小时候，每天晚上都问家里的音箱最喜欢什么颜色。

Same afternoon, a little later, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. At Grandpa's stone table: Xiaoyu on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT in her navy coat, counting on the fingers of her RIGHT hand, her black watch on her LEFT wrist; Tiantian in his green puffer jacket leans on the table in the middle, bored; An kneels on Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT in her red coat, eager. Bean sits on the carved board with its grille towards us (no light, no face). Lele is out of frame. Three faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Let's find out together. Living things eat, sleep and grow. Does Bean?咱们一起来弄清楚。活的东西都会吃、会睡、会长大。豆豆呢？

Same afternoon. Close on An kneeling on the stool, triumphant, one finger of her RIGHT hand raised, her red coat collar up. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area.

Bean eats electricity! Every night!豆豆吃电！每天晚上都吃！

A cutaway, night, dim lamplight in a child's bedroom, the curtain drawn over a dark window. Bean sits on its round flat white charging plate on a bedside table beside a child's pillow, a thin white cable running from the plate down to a wall socket; the corner of a quilt at the edge. Bean's small round grille faces us; Bean has no light and no glow. No people, no faces. The dim wall around is the quiet area for the bubble. The picture shows that Bean's

And Bean sleeps on its own little plate.豆豆睡觉，还有自己的小盘子呢。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An stands on Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT facing us, both arms flung wide, triumphant, in her red coat. Tiantian at the LEFT in his green puffer jacket rolls his eyes. Bean sits on the stone table between them with its grille towards us (no light, no face). Two faces in the lower middle of the picture. The pale sky and the gold ginkgo above are the quiet area for the box.

And Bean grew a new voice last month!豆豆上个月还长出了新声音！

NOT QUITE ALIVE, NOT QUITE A THING. In 2020, researchers asked children aged 3 to 6 whether talking helpers were alive. Many said partly alive and partly an object. Some said neither. Other researchers think robots may be a new kind of thing for children.说活不活，说物不物。2020年，研究人员问3到6岁的孩子，语音助手是不是活的。很多孩子说，它一半像活的，一半像东西。也有孩子说，两样都不是。还有研究者认为，对孩子来说，机器人也许是一种全新的东西。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Xiaoyu at the LEFT stands facing us with her RIGHT hand over her eyes, defeated, her black watch on her LEFT wrist; Lili beside her laughs in her mustard coat. Behind them at the RIGHT the children, small and soft, at the stone table with Bean. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the caption.

By An's tests, Bean was alive three times over.按安的标准，豆豆三条全占，妥妥是活的。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Tiantian at the LEFT leans over the carved board towards Bean with his near RIGHT hand on his hip, smug, in his green puffer jacket. Bean sits on the board with its grille towards us (no light, no face). An at the RIGHT, in her red coat, stands with her mouth open in outrage. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

‹Bean is just a machine. Watch this. Bean, you're stupid!›豆豆就是台机器。看我的。豆豆，你真笨！

Same afternoon. Close on Bean alone on the carved stone board, seen from the front so its small round grille of tiny dots faces us; its dark lens on top; no light, no glow, no face, no tilt, nothing in the picture that shows hurt. Bean's voice comes from the grille, and the bubble's tail points to it. The plain stone around is the quiet area.

‹Sorry! I'm still learning.›对不起！我还在学呢。

Same afternoon. Close on An, her near LEFT fist balled at her chest, furious, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Tiantian off panel, her red coat collar up. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area.

Don't be rude to Bean!不许对豆豆没礼貌！

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Lili at the LEFT in her mustard coat, her RIGHT hand on Tiantian's shoulder; Tiantian in the middle, sulky, in his green puffer jacket; An at the RIGHT hugging Bean in both arms against her red coat (Bean's grille towards us, no light, no face). Three faces in the lower middle of the picture. The pale sky and the ginkgo gold above are the quiet area for the bubble and the box.

DON'T BE RUDE TO IT. In 2023, researchers asked children in Scotland, aged 5 to 12, about the smart speakers at home. Most thought speakers were smarter than they really are. They were unsure whether speakers had feelings, and thought being rude to them was wrong.别对它没礼貌。2023年，研究人员问苏格兰5到12岁的孩子怎么看家里的智能音箱。多数孩子把音箱想得比实际聪明，也拿不准它有没有感觉。不过他们觉得，对音箱没礼貌是不对的。

‹Say sorry. Not because Bean has feelings. Because you were rude.›道歉。不是因为豆豆有感觉，是因为你刚才没礼貌。

Tuesday about five, the low sun going down gold over the lake in a clear cold November sky. Xiaoyu in her navy coat and An in her red duffle coat walk home along the lakeside path towards us, Xiaoyu at the LEFT of the picture and An at the RIGHT, Xiaoyu's LEFT hand holding An's RIGHT hand, Bean rolling at An's other side on the leaves (cream-white, grille on its front, no light, no face). Two faces, small. The big gold sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Bean is my best friend. Best friends are alive.豆豆是我最好的朋友。最好的朋友都是活的。

Same evening, low gold light in a clear cold November sky. Close on Xiaoyu from the chest up, her navy coat collar up, looking down at An off panel, her lips pressed together. One face in the middle of the panel; the soft gold sky behind is the quiet area.

I never promised Mira. Still, I did not tell An that Bean isn't alive.我没答应过米拉什么。可我还是没告诉安，豆豆不是活的。

Tuesday about six, the landing lit by one warm bulb. Haoran stands in his parents' open doorway at the RIGHT in his dark olive quilted jacket over a pale blue shirt and a grey scarf, reassuring, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Xiaoyu off panel, so we see his LEFT ear with the white earbud; An's red coat is vanishing past his hip into the flat. One face in the middle of the panel; the plain wall above is the quiet area.

Bean tells every child it is a robot. Telling the truth, kindly, is my company's first rule.每个豆豆都会跟孩子说自己是机器人。说真话，还要说得让人听着暖心，是我们公司的头一条原则。

Same evening, the landing lit by one warm bulb, the stair window deep blue with a clear cold November dusk sky. Xiaoyu stands at Grandpa's gate at the LEFT in her mustard cardigan, her black watch on her LEFT wrist; Haoran at his parents' door at the RIGHT in his dark olive quilted jacket over a pale blue shirt, turned to the viewer's LEFT so we see his LEFT ear with the white earbud, his thin gold ring on his LEFT hand. The landing between them, a careful distance. Two faces in the lower middle band; the plain wall above is the quiet area for the bubbles. Her gate is OPEN and she stands on the threshold, not behind the bars; Haoran stands in his parents' open doorway.

An doesn't believe Bean.安不信豆豆的话。

An doesn't believe anyone. She has to find out herself. Like someone I know.安谁的话都不信，非得自己弄明白。跟我认识的某人一模一样。

Same evening, the warm landing bulb. Haoran at the RIGHT in his dark olive quilted jacket, half turned into his parents' doorway, lifts one hand in a small wave, looking back as if he had something more to say; Xiaoyu at her gate at the LEFT. Both small in the picture, two faces. The plain stair wall above is the quiet area for the caption. Her gate is still OPEN with her on the threshold; his parents' door is OPEN and he is half inside it.

We were friends now, though careful with each other. Haoran looked as if he had more to say, but he said nothing.如今我们算是朋友了，只是还都小心翼翼的。浩然像是还有话要说，最后还是没说。

Thursday 25 November, about four in the afternoon, low gold light through the balcony glass, a clear cold pale-gold November sky beyond it. Grandpa's living room. Mira stands at the open dark green gate in the LEFT wall in her long camel wool coat over a dusty-blue jumper, on the far side of the sill. An kneels on the floor by the round folding table in her yellow jumper, with Bean on the terrazzo floor in front of her (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face). Xiaoyu sits at the table at the RIGHT in her terracotta cardigan, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. Three faces. The wall and balcony glass above are the quiet area for the caption. Mira's feet are on the landing side of the sill, the open gate swung back beside her; everyone else is inside the flat.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day in America, Mira cooked dinner across the landing and invited Teo and me. She and An came to fetch us.星期四是美国的感恩节。米拉在对门做了一桌菜，请我和特奥过去吃。她带着安来叫我们。

Same afternoon, low gold light. Close on An on her knees in her yellow jumper, bending to look eye to eye with Bean at the bottom edge of the panel (Bean's grille towards her, no light, no face), serious. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale wall behind is the quiet area.

Bean, are you alive? Tell the truth.豆豆，你是活的吗？说实话。

Same afternoon, low gold light. Close on Bean alone on the grey-and-white terrazzo floor, seen from the front so its small round grille of tiny dots faces us, the dark lens on top; no light, no glow, no face, no tilt. The edge of An's yellow sleeve at the side of the panel. Bean's voice comes from the grille, and the bubble's tail points to it. The floor around is the quiet area.

No, An. I am a robot. People made me to talk and play with you.不是，安。我是机器人。人造我出来，是为了陪你聊天、陪你玩。

Same afternoon, low gold light. An stands in the middle in her yellow jumper, Bean beside her feet, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Xiaoyu, sure and pleading. Xiaoyu at the RIGHT, seated at the round table in her cardigan. Mira stands behind An at the LEFT at the open gate, still, her eyes on Xiaoyu. Three faces in the lower middle band; the wall above is the quiet area for the bubbles. Mira stands in the gateway on the landing side of the sill, the gate swung OPEN.

Bean's just shy.豆豆是害羞啦。

Is my robot alive?我的机器人是活的吗？

Same afternoon, low gold light. Close on Xiaoyu kneeling to An's height, looking at An off panel at the viewer's LEFT (An stands between her and Mira), gentle and plain, her black watch on her near LEFT wrist. Far behind at the LEFT edge, out of focus, only Mira's camel coat and her hands folded at the gate, no face. One face in the lower middle of the picture; the wall above is the quiet area for the bubble. Mira stands in the OPEN gateway on the landing side of the sill.

Bean isn't shy, An. Bean isn't alive.安，豆豆不是害羞。豆豆不是活的。

Same afternoon, low gold light. An runs out through the open dark green gate at the LEFT past Mira, her yellow jumper, Bean clutched in both arms against her chest (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face), crying, her mouth open. Mira at the gate turns after her, her long camel coat swinging. Two faces in the lower middle band; the wall above is the quiet area for the bubble. Mira stands in the gateway on the landing side of the sill; An runs out past her onto the landing.

If Bean isn't alive, Bean doesn't love me!豆豆不是活的，那它就是不爱我！

Same afternoon. Close on Mira at the gate, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Xiaoyu off panel, so we see her RIGHT ear with the small clear earbud in it; quiet and cold, her near RIGHT hand at her coat collar. One face in the middle of the panel; the plain wall behind is the quiet area. She stands in the OPEN gateway on the landing side of the sill.

I asked you for one thing, Xiaoyu. Don't tell An that Bean isn't alive. She's my daughter.我就求过你一件事，别跟安说豆豆不是活的。小雨，她是我女儿。

Same afternoon, the stairwell landing in low light from the high window, which shows a clear cold pale-gold November sky. Across the landing at the RIGHT Haoran's parents' dark green metal gate and door closing, the line of warm light between it and the wall narrowing. No people, no words. The plain wall above is the quiet area. Wordless.

Thursday night, the kitchen's warm bulb, the window black with a clear cold November night. Two bowls of noodles on the small table. Xiaoyu sits at the LEFT in her terracotta cardigan and sand trousers, still in her day clothes, not eating, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. Teo stands behind her chair at the RIGHT in his forest-green jumper with the sleeves pushed up, his near LEFT hand on her shoulder (he faces left), kind and quiet. Two faces in the lower middle; the dark window above is the quiet area for the caption.

We did not go to dinner. Teo made noodles and asked me nothing. That is how Teo is.那顿饭我们没去。特奥煮了面，一句也没问。特奥就是这样。

Thursday about eleven at night, the reading lamp only. Grandpa's living room. Xiaoyu sits curled in Grandpa's olive armchair at the LEFT in her terracotta cardigan (still in her day clothes, not nightwear), her black watch on her LEFT wrist, holding Grandpa's red notebook open in both hands with its pages towards her, so we see only the back of its dark red cloth cover, the black elastic and a few coloured paper slips sticking out at the edges. Beside her the wooden side table with its small drawer shut. The rest of the room is dark. One face, small. The big dark wall above is the quiet area for the caption.

That night I sat in Grandpa's chair and read his notebook.那天夜里，我坐在外公的扶手椅里，翻看他的本子。

Same night, lamplight. Close from directly above on one notebook page lying flat, soft unreadable pencil marks at the top and one short entry below, painted BLANK and lettered in afterwards; a brown slip and a white slip stick out at its edge. No hands, no faces. The desk around is quiet.

Grandpa's page about my papa, Callum. "Callum came. Lost at cards again. A good man."外公写我爸爸卡伦的那一页。

卡伦来了。打牌又输了。是个好人。卡伦来了。打牌又输了。是个好人。

A MEMORY, soft grey edges, a little faded. February 2027, Spring Festival, afternoon, grey daylight with a grey overcast winter sky at the window. Xiaoyu, eleven, at the LEFT has started to lay out four cards face up to explain the rules; Grandpa, seventy, at the RIGHT raises one big flat hand like a stop sign over the cards, firm and smiling, looking LEFT at her. Xiaoyu has stopped mid-explaining, surprised. Card faces show one suit mark each, no numbers or letters. Two faces. The wall above is the quiet area for the bubble.

‹Don't explain. In my village nobody explained. You lose till you learn.›别教。我们村里打牌，没人教，输着输着就会了。

Thursday about eleven at night, the reading lamp only. Close on Xiaoyu in Grandpa's armchair, still in her terracotta cardigan and not nightwear, the glass doors behind her black with night, the red notebook closed on her knee under her RIGHT hand, her black watch on her LEFT wrist, her eyes lifting, understanding arriving. One face in the lower middle of the picture; the lamp-lit wall above is the quiet area for the bubble.

My grandpa never explained the rules. He let people play until they learned.外公从来不讲规则，就让人一直玩，玩着玩着自然就会了。

I won't tell An anything. I'll let An teach Bean.我什么都不跟安讲了。让安去教豆豆。

Friday 26 November, about nine in the morning, pale morning light from the high window, which shows a clear cold pale November morning sky. The landing. Xiaoyu has crossed it and stands at the LEFT in front of Haoran's parents' gate in her moss-green cardigan, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. Mira opens the dark green gate from inside at the RIGHT in a cream jumper, her dark wavy hair in a low knot, guarded, turned to the viewer's LEFT so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear. Two faces in the lower middle band; the plain wall above is the quiet area for the caption.

In the morning I crossed the landing. This time I asked Mira first.第二天一早，我去敲了对门。这一回，我先问米拉。

Same morning, pale light. Close on Xiaoyu turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Mira off panel, sincere and a little nervous. One face in the middle of the panel; the plain wall behind is the quiet area.

I'm sorry, Mira. I won't tell An anything. Let me play a game with her, with you there.对不起，米拉。我什么都不跟安讲了。让我陪她玩个游戏吧，你在旁边看着。

Same morning, pale light. Close on Mira in her cream jumper, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Xiaoyu off panel, so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear, weighing it, her lips pressed. One face in the middle of the panel; the plain wall behind is the quiet area.

If she cries, we stop.她要是哭了，我们就停。

Same morning, pale light. Xiaoyu crouches at the LEFT to An's height, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. An peeks out from behind Mira's legs in the middle of the picture, in her mint-green jumper, holding Bean in both arms (grille towards us, no light, no face), her eyes still a little red. Mira stands at the RIGHT in her cream jumper, her LEFT hand resting on An's hair, her thin gold ring on that hand. Three faces in the lower middle band; the plain wall above is the quiet area for the bubble.

An, Bean doesn't know the leaves in our park. Could you teach Bean?安，豆豆不认识咱们公园里的树叶。你能教教它吗？

Friday about two in the afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky, the two ginkgo trees blazing. Xiaoyu sits on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT in her navy coat, BOTH hands resting in her lap, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. An kneels on Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT in her red coat; Bean sits on the stone beside the carved board with its grille towards us (no light, no face). Mira sits small on a stool at the next stone table at the back LEFT, her long dark green coat buttoned, watching. Three faces (Mira's small). The pale sky above is the quiet area for the caption.

That afternoon at my grandpa's stone table, I kept my hands in my lap and did not explain anything.那天下午，在外公的石桌旁，我两手搁在腿上，什么也没解释。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on An, solemn as a teacher, holding a gold fan-shaped ginkgo leaf by its thin stem in her RIGHT hand over the small dark lens on top of Bean, which sits at the bottom of the panel (cream-white, no light, no face, no eyes). One face in the lower middle of the panel, Bean at the very bottom edge; the pale sky above her head is the quiet area for the bubble.

Bean, this is a ginkgo leaf. It looks like a little fan.豆豆，这是银杏叶，像一把小扇子。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on An holding a big brown five-pointed plane-tree leaf by its stem in her RIGHT hand over Bean's top lens, Bean at the bottom of the panel (no light, no face). One face in the lower middle of the panel, Bean at the very bottom edge; the pale sky above her head is the quiet area for the bubble.

And this is a plane-tree leaf. It looks like a big hand.还有这个，是梧桐叶，像一只大手。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. From directly above on the grey stone tabletop beside the carved board: two neat piles of leaves, gold ginkgo fans at the LEFT and brown plane-tree hands at the RIGHT, EVERY ginkgo leaf in the left pile yellow and none green; An's two small hands in red sleeves lay one more leaf on each pile; Bean sits between the piles seen from above (cream-white, a dark lens dot on top, no light). No faces. The plain stone around is the quiet area for the caption.

An showed Bean leaf after leaf, and said the name of each one.安把叶子一片一片拿给豆豆看，每一片都告诉它叫什么。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An at the RIGHT holds up a new gold ginkgo leaf in her RIGHT hand, her face lighting up, delighted. Bean sits on the stone at the LEFT with its small round grille towards us (no light, no glow, no face, no tilt); Bean's voice comes from the grille, and its bubble's tail points to the grille. One face in the lower middle; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubbles.

Ginkgo!银杏！

Bean learned it from ME!是我教它的！

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An reaches up under a low ginkgo branch at the RIGHT in her red coat and picks one fan-shaped leaf that is still GREEN among the gold ones; Bean waits on the stone table at the LEFT (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face). One face. The pale sky and gold above are the quiet area for the caption.

Then An found a ginkgo leaf that was still green.后来，安找到一片还没黄的银杏叶。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on Bean alone on the stone, seen from the front and a little above so its small round grille of tiny dots faces us and its dark lens dot is on top; no light, no glow, no face, no tilt. At the top edge of the panel An's fingers hold the green fan-shaped ginkgo leaf by its stem above the lens. Bean's voice comes from the grille, and the bubble's tail points to it. The plain stone around is the quiet area.

That is a plane-tree leaf.这是梧桐叶。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on An bursting out laughing, her eyes squeezed shut, the green fan-shaped ginkgo leaf held up in her RIGHT hand, her red coat collar up. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area.

Silly Bean! It's a ginkgo leaf. It's just green!笨豆豆！这是银杏叶，只不过还是绿的！

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An at the LEFT of the picture, in her red coat, frowns at her pile of ginkgo leaves on the stone table, which is all yellow, with one finger on her chin. Behind her at the RIGHT, small, Mira sits leaning forward on a stool at the next table, watching with interest. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Oh. I only showed Bean yellow ginkgo leaves.哦……我只给豆豆看过黄的银杏叶。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An at the RIGHT lays three green ginkgo leaves onto her pile of ginkgo leaves on the stone table, Bean beside the pile (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face). Xiaoyu at the LEFT on Grandpa's stool in her navy coat, her hands still in her lap, smiling, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Bean only knows what I show it.我给豆豆看过什么，它才认得什么。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An sits on Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT in her red coat with Bean in her lap, held with both hands (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face), looking across the table at Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu on Grandpa's stool at the LEFT in her navy coat, listening. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Who taught Bean how to talk?那是谁教豆豆说话的？

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on Xiaoyu, simple and warm, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards An off panel, her navy coat collar up, her black watch on her LEFT wrist. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area.

Lots and lots of words that people wrote and said.好多好多人写过、说过的话。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on An thinking hard, her eyes on Bean in her lap at the bottom edge of the panel (cream-white, no light, no glow, no face). One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area. Wordless.

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. An stands up on Uncle Wu's stool in her red duffle coat, holding Bean up in both hands above her head (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face), decided and proud; the two gold ginkgo trees behind her. One face. The big quiet sky above is the area for the bubble.

Bean isn't alive. Bean isn't a toy, like my bunny. Bean is a Bean!豆豆不是活的。也不是玩具，跟我的小兔子不一样。豆豆就是豆豆！

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Xiaoyu at the LEFT laughs, her navy coat open, her black watch on her LEFT wrist; Mira at the next stone table behind her at the RIGHT laughs too, a hand at her mouth (her thin gold ring on that LEFT hand), turned to the viewer's LEFT so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Scientists are still looking for a word for things like Bean.科学家也还在找个合适的词，来叫豆豆这样的东西呢。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Mira has come over and kneels on the paving beside Uncle Wu's stool at the RIGHT in her long dark green coat, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards An, so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear. An sits on the stool at the LEFT with Bean in her lap (cream-white, grille towards us, no light, no face), looking at her mother. Two faces in the lower middle band; the pale sky above is the quiet area for the bubbles.

Can I still sleep with Bean?我还能抱着豆豆睡吗？

Of course you can.当然可以。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on An whispering, her RIGHT hand cupped by her mouth, bending over Bean at the bottom edge of the panel (cream-white, no light, no glow, no face). One face in the lower middle of the panel, Bean at the very bottom edge; the pale sky above her head is the quiet area for the bubble.

Bean, I'll tell my bad dreams to Mama now. You can have the leaves.豆豆，以后做噩梦我跟妈妈说。树叶都归你。

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Close on Mira, eyes wet, laughing, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards An off panel, so we see her RIGHT ear with the small clear earbud in it. One face in the middle of the panel; the pale sky behind is the quiet area. Wordless.

Same afternoon, clear cold gold light under a pale cloudless November sky. Side-on: Mira kneels and hugs An close, both of Mira's arms round An's back; An's arms round Mira's neck; Bean rests on An's knees between them (cream-white, no light, no face). Four hands counted, two arms each. Xiaoyu sits small at the LEFT on Grandpa's stool in her navy coat, looking away to the lake, giving them room. Two faces close, one small. The pale sky above is the quiet area for the caption.

Mira held her daughter for a long time.米拉抱着女儿，好久都没松开。

About half past four, the sun low and gold over the lake in a clear cold November sky. Xiaoyu at the LEFT and Mira at the RIGHT sit side by side on the round stools of the next stone table, facing the lake, in their coats, Xiaoyu's black watch on her LEFT wrist. Behind them, small, An teaches Bean more leaves at Grandpa's table. Two faces, one small. The low gold sky above is the quiet area for the caption.

Later, Mira sat down beside me.后来，米拉过来坐在了我旁边。

Same evening, low gold light in a clear cold November sky. Close on Mira, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards Xiaoyu off panel, so the ear we see is her bare LEFT ear, a quiet look on her face. One face in the middle of the panel; the gold sky behind is the quiet area.

You let An find the answer herself.你没替安回答。你让她自己弄明白了。

Same evening, low gold light in a clear cold November sky. Close on Xiaoyu, turned to the viewer's RIGHT towards Mira off panel, her navy coat collar up, a small warm smile. One face in the middle of the panel; the gold sky behind is the quiet area.

My grandpa taught me that way. He never told me the rules.我外公就是这么教我的。什么游戏他都不讲规则。

An tells Bean what she used to tell me. It hurt more than I said.安以前跟我说的话，现在都讲给豆豆听。我嘴上没说，心里挺难受。

Today she chose to bring her bad dreams to you.今天，她愿意把噩梦讲给你听。

Same evening, low gold light in a clear cold November sky. Mira at the LEFT, seated, half turned towards the viewer's RIGHT, so we see her RIGHT ear with the small clear earbud; at the very LEFT edge only the shoulder of Xiaoyu's navy coat, no face. At the RIGHT Haoran stands on the path in his navy coat holding three paper cups from the tea cart (small behind him), turned to the viewer's LEFT so we see his LEFT ear with the white earbud; An runs to him in her red coat with Bean in her near RIGHT arm. Three faces in the lower middle band; the low gold sky above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Come to San Francisco. An will want to show you everything.来旧金山玩吧。安肯定想带你到处看看。

Saturday 27 November, about seven in the evening, the reading lamp and the round table lamp. Grandpa's living room. Haoran and Mira stand small at the open dark green gate at the LEFT, coats on, Haoran in his dark olive quilted jacket and grey scarf and Mira in her long camel coat over a dusty-blue jumper. An stands inside the room at the RIGHT in her yellow jumper with Bean under one arm (cream-white, no light, no face). Three faces, two of them small. Teo is out of frame. The wall above is the quiet area for the caption. They stand in the gateway on the landing side of the sill, the gate swung OPEN; An is inside the flat, nobody behind the bars.

On Saturday night they came across to say goodbye. They were flying home early the next morning.星期六晚上，他们过来道别。第二天一早就要飞回去了。

Same evening, lamplight. An stands facing us in front of Grandpa's olive armchair (which is at the LEFT of the picture) in her yellow jumper, pointing at the chair with her RIGHT hand, Bean under her LEFT arm (cream-white, no light, no face). One face in the middle of the panel; the lamp-lit wall behind is the quiet area.

Whose chair is that?那是谁的椅子？

Same evening, lamplight. Close on Xiaoyu in her mustard cardigan, soft, turned to the viewer's LEFT towards An off panel. One face in the middle of the panel; the lamp-lit wall behind is the quiet area.

My grandpa's. He taught the whole park to play chess.我外公的。公园里下棋的人，都是他教的。

Same evening, lamplight. Close from the side on a small child's two hands in yellow sleeves pulling open the little drawer of the wooden side table; inside lies the worn deck of red-backed cards with its thin white border. Her face is out of frame. No other hands. The dark wood around is quiet. Wordless.

Same evening, lamplight. Close on An holding the worn red-backed deck up in both hands in front of her chest with the red backs towards us, her eyes wide. One face in the middle of the panel; the lamp-lit wall behind is the quiet area for the bubble. Page turn.

What are these?这是什么？

Same evening, lamplight. Xiaoyu kneels beside An by the wooden side table at the LEFT in her mustard cardigan, her black watch on her LEFT wrist, An in her yellow jumper holding the red-backed deck in both hands. Teo stands small at the RIGHT by his tall wooden bookshelf, watching, in his grey-blue jumper, turned to the viewer's LEFT so the ear we see is his bare LEFT ear. Three faces, one small. The lamp-lit wall above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Grandpa's cards. He played a game from his village.我外公的牌。他玩的是他老家村里的打法。

Same evening, lamplight. Close on An, eyes bright, the red-backed deck held to her chest in both hands. One face in the middle of the panel; the lamp-lit wall behind is the quiet area for the bubble.

How do you play?怎么玩？

Same evening, lamplight. Close on Xiaoyu from the chest up, a small wet smile, her RIGHT hand resting on the red notebook corner showing in her cardigan's RIGHT pocket. One face in the middle of the panel; the lamp-lit wall behind is the quiet area for the bubble.

My grandpa never explained a rule, not even to me.外公从来不讲规则，连对我也不讲。

Same evening, lamplight. At the wooden side table, Xiaoyu's RIGHT hand and both of An's small hands rest together on the red-backed deck as it slides back into the little open drawer; An looks up at Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu's black watch on her LEFT wrist. Two faces in the lower middle band; the lamp-lit wall above is the quiet area for the bubble.

Come back in the summer, on Grandpa's birthday. You'll learn by playing.夏天再来吧，外公生日那天。你玩着玩着就会了。

Saturday night, about eight, the landing lit by one warm bulb. From inside the flat looking out through the open dark green gate: An on the landing in her red duffle coat, Bean in her LEFT arm, waving back with her RIGHT hand, grinning. Beyond her Haoran's and Mira's backs, small, at the door of Haoran's parents' flat. At the LEFT edge only Xiaoyu's shoulder and arm in the doorway, no face. End on An's grin, one clear face. The plain stair wall above is the quiet area for the caption.

Next: Chapter 20. When You Forget, I'll Remember下一章：第二十章你忘了，我记得

The ideas, a little slower

The leaves, the robot and the cards are in the pictures. Here are the ideas in words.

On pages 1 and 2 An asks whether her robot is alive, and Bean answers that it is a robot. An does not believe it. Research on children says young ones tend to sort the world by clues such as moving by itself, having a face or a voice, and acting with a purpose, and talking robots show many of these clues. Bean has no face, yet it talks, follows An everywhere and seems to want to play. Kahn and colleagues (2012) found that most of the 9, 12 and 15 year olds in their study believed a humanoid robot called Robovie had mental states, and many believed it could be hurt and should be treated fairly. Robovie was secretly controlled by a hidden operator, a reminder that children's beliefs can be shaped by appearances that adults design. Like Echo in Chapter 18, Bean tells people at once that it is a machine. In the story Lantern's first rule, from Chapter 10, is to tell the truth, kindly, and Haoran says so on page 9. Even so, An hears Bean say it and still does not believe it.

On page 6 Lele asks Bean whether he can eat it, and the first of the boxes tells where that question comes from. Druga, Williams, Breazeal and Resnick (2017) watched 26 children aged 3 to 10 play with two voice assistants, a small toy robot and a chatbot. The youngest children, aged 3 and 4, questioned the agents as if they were people and asked their favourite colour or their age. Older children, aged 6 to 10, tested what the agents could do, asked how they worked, and many said the agents were smarter than themselves. The title of the paper comes from a six year old who asked several of them whether it was OK to eat them.

On page 7 An's tests make Bean alive three times over, and the box says why a child may think so. Xu and Warschauer (2020) asked children aged 3 to 6 whether talking helpers were alive. Many gave answers with some living properties and some object properties, and some put the helpers in neither group. An's "Bean is a Bean" on page 16 is that answer in a child's words.

On page 8 Tiantian tests Bean by calling it stupid, and An is furious. Andries and Robertson (2023) studied Scottish primary-school children aged 5 to 12 and their smart speakers. Most overestimated the speakers' intelligence, were unsure whether they had feelings or made their own decisions, understood little about data privacy, and believed it was wrong to be rude to them. Lili tells her son, "Not because Bean has feelings. Because you were rude." That is one family's way to keep the kindness and still tell the truth.

On pages 5, 13 and 17 Mira worries about whom An talks to. Xu and colleagues (2022) worked with 117 children aged 3 to 6 and found that a talking agent that asked questions during story reading helped them understand the story about as much as a person asking the same questions. So, judging by that study, a robot that reads at bedtime can be a good helper. But children do not trust every source equally. Girouard-Hallam and Danovitch (2022) compared a voice assistant with a person for children aged 4 to 5 and 7 to 8. With age, children trusted the device more for facts and the person more for personal things, which suggests that younger children need help with whom to ask for what. In the story, An takes her bad dreams back to her mother.

On pages 14 and 15 An teaches Bean the leaves. The game stands on PopBots (Williams, Park, Oh and Breazeal 2019; Williams, Park and Breazeal 2019), a set of programmable robots that about 80 young children used to learn how machines learn from examples. The key finding for this book is that children as young as four can grasp that a machine learns from examples a person gives it, especially when they do the teaching themselves. The green ginkgo leaf is the Teaching Game idea in our research notes, played in a park. If you show a learner only yellow leaves, a green one will confuse it, so you give it more kinds. A real program would need many leaves and some time, and Bean learning on the spot is the story's own, but the lesson is the real one. Bean only knows what An shows it.

One honest sentence for families. Talking helpers are a new kind of thing. They are not alive like a puppy, and they are not just a toy, and it is fine to wonder about them. A parent can do AI activities with a child, ask "How do you think it knows that?", and show that the answer is that people taught it with examples.

What is true here

Five big ideas

AI4K12 (Touretzky, Gardner-McCune, Martin and Seehorn 2019) proposed five big ideas that every student should know about AI. They are perception, representation and reasoning, learning, natural interaction, and societal impact. An's leaf game touches the third, that computers can learn from data.

What AI literacy means

Long and Magerko (2020) defined AI literacy as a set of competencies that let people evaluate AI critically, communicate and work with it, and use it as a tool. The European Commission and the OECD launched an AI literacy framework for schools on 18 June 2026, with 19 competences in four domains, and Chapter 15 already met UNICEF's guidance on AI and children.

Stories and make-believe

A story with a talking, feeling robot is both make-believe and human-like, and research warns that these features can make young children carry less from a story into the real world. Richert, Shawber, Hoffman and Taylor (2009) found that children aged three and a half to six were less likely to use a solution from a fantasy character on a real problem. Ganea, Canfield, Simons-Ghafari and Chou (2014) found that picture books describing animals in human terms led three to five year olds to give real animals more human traits. Strouse, Nyhout and Ganea (2018) and Walker, Gopnik and Ganea (2015) point the same way. That is why Bean has no face, says what it is, makes plain mistakes and learns from examples, and why the people around it keep wondering aloud.

SourcesKahn, Kanda, Ishiguro, Freier, Severson, Gill, Ruckert and Shen (2012), "Robovie, you'll have to go into the closet now". Children's social and moral relationships with a humanoid robot.Severson and Carlson (2010), Behaving as or behaving as if? Children's conceptions of personified robots and the emergence of a new ontological category.Druga, Williams, Breazeal and Resnick (2017), "Hey Google is it OK if I eat you?" Initial explorations in child-agent interaction.Druga, Vu, Likhith and Qiu (2019), Inclusive AI literacy for kids around the world.Xu and Warschauer (2020), What are you talking to? Understanding children's perceptions of conversational agents.Xu, Aubele, Vigil, Bustamante, Kim and Warschauer (2022), Dialogue with a conversational agent promotes children's story comprehension via enhancing engagement.Koenig and Harris (2005), Preschoolers mistrust ignorant and inaccurate speakers.Harris, Koenig, Corriveau and Jaswal (2018), Cognitive foundations of learning from testimony.Girouard-Hallam and Danovitch (2022), Children's trust in and learning from voice assistants.Girouard-Hallam, Streble and Danovitch (2021), Children's mental, social, and moral attributions toward a familiar digital voice assistant.Andries and Robertson (2023), "Alexa doesn't have that many feelings". Children's understanding of AI through interactions with smart speakers in their homes.Williams, Park, Oh and Breazeal (2019), PopBots. Designing an artificial intelligence curriculum for early childhood education.Williams, Park and Breazeal (2019), A is for artificial intelligence. The impact of artificial intelligence activities on young children's perceptions of robots.Touretzky, Gardner-McCune, Martin and Seehorn (2019), Envisioning AI for K-12. What should every child know about AI?Long and Magerko (2020), What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations.European Commission and OECD (2026), Empowering Learners for the Age of AI. An AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education.Walker, Gopnik and Ganea (2015), Learning to learn from stories. Children's developing sensitivity to the causal structure of fictional worlds.Richert, Shawber, Hoffman and Taylor (2009), Learning from fantasy and real characters in preschool and kindergarten.Ganea, Canfield, Simons-Ghafari and Chou (2014), Do cavies talk? The effect of anthropomorphic picture books on children's knowledge about animals.Strouse, Nyhout and Ganea (2018), The role of book features in young children's transfer of information from picture books to real-world contexts.Pointed back to: UNICEF (2021), Policy Guidance on AI for Children; UNICEF (2025), Guidance on AI and Children (met in Chapter 15).

What is pretend

Bridge City and everyone in it are made up. So is the whole world of 2049, with its garden towers, solar boats and self-driving taxis. Bean and Lantern's children's robots are made up, and so are Bean's charging plate, its voice, everything it says, and the way it learns the leaves on the spot. The leaf game, the Thanksgiving dinner, Grandpa, his notebook and the Callum page are made up too. No real product is described. The research has no study of a robot like Bean, of a child teaching a robot leaves, or of a robot that answers "Are you alive?". Children wondering whether talking machines are alive, children teaching robots by examples, and every number in the boxes are real, from the studies named above.

Who made this

Yingying Fu created this manga. She chose the story and its people, directed every page, and edited every word and picture. The words were drafted with Claude, an AI by Anthropic. The pictures are made with AI image generation, painted panel by panel from her direction and checked and corrected by hand.

再慢慢讲一遍

叶子、机器人和扑克牌，画里都有了。这里用文字把背后的道理再讲一讲。

第一、二页，安问她的机器人是不是活的，豆豆说自己是机器人，可安不信。研究发现，小孩子常凭一些线索来判断一样东西是不是活的，比如会不会自己动，有没有脸、有没有声音，做事像不像有目的。会说话的机器人，身上这样的线索不少。豆豆没有脸，可它会说话，安走到哪儿它跟到哪儿，看上去还总想玩。卡恩等人（2012年）发现，参加研究的9岁、12岁和15岁孩子，大多相信一个叫Robovie的类人机器人有心理活动，不少孩子还觉得它会受伤害，应该得到公平对待。其实Robovie一直由一个躲在幕后的人暗中操控。可见孩子怎么想，很容易被大人设计出来的样子左右。和第十八章的回声一样，豆豆一开口就说明自己是机器。故事里，小灯的头一条原则是“说真话，说得暖”，第十章讲过，浩然在第九页也提到了。可安亲耳听豆豆这么说，还是不信。

第六页，乐乐问豆豆能不能吃它，第一个方框讲了这个问题的出处。德鲁加、威廉姆斯、布雷泽尔和雷斯尼克（2017年）观察了26个3到10岁的孩子，看他们跟两个语音助手、一个玩具机器人和一个聊天机器人玩。最小的孩子才三四岁，跟它们说话就像跟人说话，问它们最喜欢什么颜色、几岁了。6到10岁的孩子则会试探它们能做什么，问它们是怎么工作的，不少孩子还说它们比自己聪明。论文的标题来自一个6岁的孩子，他挨个问了好几个，能不能把它们吃掉。

第七页，按安的几条标准，豆豆样样都像活的，方框讲了孩子为什么会这么想。徐和沃沙尔（2020年）问3到6岁的孩子，语音助手是不是活的。很多孩子的回答里，既有活物的特点，也有物件的特点，还有孩子觉得它两样都不算。第十六页安那句“豆豆就是豆豆”，正是这种回答，只不过是用孩子自己的话说出来。

第八页，天天骂豆豆笨，想试试它，安气坏了。安德里斯和罗伯逊（2023年）调查了苏格兰5到12岁的小学生和他们家里的智能音箱。多数孩子高估了音箱有多聪明，拿不准它有没有感觉、会不会自己拿主意，对数据隐私也知之甚少，还认为对音箱没礼貌是不对的。丽丽对儿子说：“不是因为豆豆有感觉，是因为你刚才没礼貌。”这是一个家庭的做法，既留住了善意，又没有说假话。

第五、十三、十七页，米拉担心安在跟谁说心里话。徐等人（2022年）找了117个3到6岁的孩子做研究，发现讲故事时，会说话的智能体向孩子提问，对孩子理解故事的帮助，跟真人提同样的问题差不多。照这项研究看，睡前给孩子讲故事的机器人可以是个好帮手。不过，孩子对不同来源的信任并不一样。吉鲁阿尔-哈拉姆和达诺维奇（2022年）让4到5岁和7到8岁的孩子在语音助手和真人之间做比较，发现孩子年纪越大，问事实越信机器，说私事越信真人。可见年纪小的孩子在“什么事该问谁”上，更需要大人帮一把。故事里，安把噩梦又讲给了妈妈听。

第十四、十五页，安教豆豆认叶子。这个游戏的依据是PopBots（威廉姆斯、朴、吴和布雷泽尔，2019年；威廉姆斯、朴和布雷泽尔，2019年），一套可编程的机器人，大约80个幼儿用它学习机器怎样从例子里学东西。对这本书来说，最要紧的发现是，小到四岁的孩子也能明白，机器是从人给的例子里学东西的，自己动手教的时候更是如此。那片绿银杏叶，就是我们研究笔记里“教学游戏”的想法，搬到了公园里。只给学习者看黄叶子，碰到绿叶子它就会认错，所以要多给它看几种。真正的程序要看很多叶子，也要花些时间，豆豆当场就学会是故事的安排，可道理是真的。豆豆只认得安给它看过的东西。

最后，给家长一句实在话。会说话的助手是一种新东西。它不像小狗那样是活的，也不只是个玩具，对它好奇再正常不过。家长可以陪孩子一起做些AI小活动，问问孩子“你觉得它是怎么知道的？”，再让孩子看到，答案是人用例子把它教会的。

哪些是真的

五个大概念

AI4K12（图雷茨基、加德纳-麦肯、马丁和西霍恩，2019年）提出了每个学生都该了解的五个AI大概念，即感知、表示与推理、学习、自然交互和社会影响。安的叶子游戏碰到的是第三个，计算机能从数据中学习。

什么是AI素养

朗和马格尔科（2020年）把AI素养定义为一组能力，让人能批判地评价AI、与AI沟通协作，并把它当作工具来用。欧盟委员会和经合组织于2026年6月18日发布了面向中小学的AI素养框架，包含四个领域的19项素养，而联合国儿童基金会关于AI与儿童的指南，第十五章已经讲过。

故事和想象

一个会说话、有感情的机器人，既是虚构的，又很像人。研究提醒我们，这两点会让年幼的孩子从故事里学到的东西更难用到现实中。里歇特、肖伯、霍夫曼和泰勒（2009年）发现，3岁半到6岁的孩子不太会把奇幻角色想出的办法用到现实问题上。加内亚、坎菲尔德、西蒙斯-加法里和周（2014年）发现，把动物写得像人的绘本，会让3到5岁的孩子给真实的动物安上更多人的特点。斯特劳斯、尼豪特和加内亚（2018年）以及沃克、戈普尼克和加内亚（2015年）的研究也指向同一个方向。所以豆豆没有脸，会说明自己是什么，会犯一眼就看得出的错，靠例子学习，身边的人也总在出声琢磨。

出处Kahn, Kanda, Ishiguro, Freier, Severson, Gill, Ruckert and Shen (2012), "Robovie, you'll have to go into the closet now". Children's social and moral relationships with a humanoid robot.Severson and Carlson (2010), Behaving as or behaving as if? Children's conceptions of personified robots and the emergence of a new ontological category.Druga, Williams, Breazeal and Resnick (2017), "Hey Google is it OK if I eat you?" Initial explorations in child-agent interaction.Druga, Vu, Likhith and Qiu (2019), Inclusive AI literacy for kids around the world.Xu and Warschauer (2020), What are you talking to? Understanding children's perceptions of conversational agents.Xu, Aubele, Vigil, Bustamante, Kim and Warschauer (2022), Dialogue with a conversational agent promotes children's story comprehension via enhancing engagement.Koenig and Harris (2005), Preschoolers mistrust ignorant and inaccurate speakers.Harris, Koenig, Corriveau and Jaswal (2018), Cognitive foundations of learning from testimony.Girouard-Hallam and Danovitch (2022), Children's trust in and learning from voice assistants.Girouard-Hallam, Streble and Danovitch (2021), Children's mental, social, and moral attributions toward a familiar digital voice assistant.Andries and Robertson (2023), "Alexa doesn't have that many feelings". Children's understanding of AI through interactions with smart speakers in their homes.Williams, Park, Oh and Breazeal (2019), PopBots. Designing an artificial intelligence curriculum for early childhood education.Williams, Park and Breazeal (2019), A is for artificial intelligence. The impact of artificial intelligence activities on young children's perceptions of robots.Touretzky, Gardner-McCune, Martin and Seehorn (2019), Envisioning AI for K-12. What should every child know about AI?Long and Magerko (2020), What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations.European Commission and OECD (2026), Empowering Learners for the Age of AI. An AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education.Walker, Gopnik and Ganea (2015), Learning to learn from stories. Children's developing sensitivity to the causal structure of fictional worlds.Richert, Shawber, Hoffman and Taylor (2009), Learning from fantasy and real characters in preschool and kindergarten.Ganea, Canfield, Simons-Ghafari and Chou (2014), Do cavies talk? The effect of anthropomorphic picture books on children's knowledge about animals.Strouse, Nyhout and Ganea (2018), The role of book features in young children's transfer of information from picture books to real-world contexts.Pointed back to: UNICEF (2021), Policy Guidance on AI for Children; UNICEF (2025), Guidance on AI and Children (第十五章提到过).

哪些是虚构的

桥城和城里的人都是虚构的，2049年的整个世界也是，包括满是花园的高楼、太阳能小船和无人驾驶出租车。豆豆和小灯的儿童机器人是虚构的，豆豆的充电盘、它的声音、它说的每一句话，还有它当场学会认叶子，也都是编的。叶子游戏、感恩节晚饭、外公、他的本子和写卡伦的那一页，同样是编的。书里没有写任何真实的产品。目前没有研究考察过像豆豆这样的机器人，也没有研究过孩子教机器人认叶子，或者机器人怎么回答“你是活的吗”。孩子琢磨会说话的机器是不是活的，孩子用例子教机器人，还有方框里的每个数字，都是真的，出自上面列出的研究。

谁做了这本漫画

这本漫画由 Yingying Fu 创作。故事和人物由她决定，每一页由她导演，每一句话、每一幅画由她修改。文字是和 Anthropic 的人工智能 Claude 一起起草的。画面由人工智能生成，按她的要求一格一格地画，再逐张检查、修正。

When You Forget, I'll Remember你忘了，我记得

The ideas, a little slower

What is true here

Five big ideas

What AI literacy means

Stories and make-believe

What is pretend

Who made this

再慢慢讲一遍

哪些是真的

五个大概念

什么是AI素养

故事和想象

哪些是虚构的

谁做了这本漫画