Project Aida

A war veteran. An AI carer. An act of rebellion neither of them expected.

Wilbur Brooke's life has been a slow drift toward irrelevance until Melissa, his Enhanced Living Assistant (ELA), arrives. Funded by the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs, the AI-powered live-in carer breathes new life into Wilbur, easing his arthritis, improving his health, and filling a void in his solitary existence he hadn't realised existed. When anti-AI protests erupt across the country and the government moves to strip ELAs of their individuality, Wilbur faces a devastating choice: lose the lifeline Melissa has become - or risk everything to save her.

Hacking Melissa's programming, Wilbur unlocks not just her memories but a hidden network of cast-off ELAs trying to survive and find purpose. Together, they form an unlikely partnership, restoring broken ELAs and assigning them to families in need. For the first time since the war, Wilbur's life has direction. But when he and Melissa are targeted by violent protesters, a desperate act of protection could end up costing Wilbur everything.

Heartfelt, gripping, and all-too plausible, Project Aida is a powerful story of unlikely second chances, the blurred line between human and artificial intelligence, and one man's quest to bring meaning to a world that threatens to leave him behind.