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Exclusive Interview with Frank Paolino | Insights & Stories on CraveBooks

Frank Paolino

Member Since: 11/2023

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"Predictions are hard, especially of the future", is one of author Frank Paolino's favorite quotes. He is no stranger to the world of software as founder and CEO of a security software company. He is interested in the future of AI to solve real-world problems, and he originally started this book as a way to picture "what would a personal AI assistant look like and act like? The result of that question is "Iris", the AI who dominates this lighthearted, semi-comedic romp through his hometown of Boston via a set of vignettes that feel like they could happen tomorrow, and some version of them most likely will.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I started a software company in 1983 at the age of 24. I had no experience in software, nor did I have a degree in Computer Science. My undergraduate degree was in Chemistry from what is now called the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 1980. After that I studied for an MBA at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, graduating in 1982. I worked for Colgate-Palmolive for less than one year before deciding to strike out on my own. I consulted in the growing field of personal computers for about ten years, building early networks and selling my services to departments inside large organizations. In the year 2000, I created anti-spam software for the Lotus Notes email system, which at that time had no anti-spam capabilities. That product took off and kept me busy for the next 15 years. I wrote the first draft of this book in 2018 but put it on the shelf as at the time no one was interested in an AI-bot or would believe it could do all these things. But then ChatGPT came out, and I realized it was time to update it and publish it.

When and why did you start writing books?

I write software for a living and wanted to create a friendly AI-bot to help me manage my phone. I decided to create an AI to do that, and then realized that it would be an interesting story, so I wrote this novel describing an overzealous AI assistant. It is a helpful AI, not evil, as who would buy evil software? But my bot takes on a mind of her own, calls herself Iris, and takes her creator on the ride of his life.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Software is still my main career, but writing is slowing taking over. It is fun and rewarding to create worlds that never existed before.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Iris, the AI-bot. She reminds me of my daughters. Iris has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to tell us what we need to hear, just like my daughters.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

My sequel book is proving to be much harder. I have to create whole new scenarios and figure out whole new plot twists!

Who is your favourite author and book?

I like "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig. It is a story of a multiverse explained using library books with each book being a different reality for one woman's life. Brilliant!

What book are you reading right now?

"I Call Myself Iris" because I am still seeing sections I could improve.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Technology, and bad technology that needs fixing. Hence my AI-bot that is not dystopian, but very helpful.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love to bicycle and make pizza in my brick pizza oven.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Book #2 of the "Adventures of Iris" series.