2013-09-01
Explanation
This comic depicts a group of kids playing a game of Truth or Dare with a robot called "Auto-Tron 4000." One kid asks the robot who it has a crush on. The robot objects, saying it'''s not fair because Auto-Tron is incapable of love and that humans should not be allowed to ask about their crushes either. After some negotiation, the robot picks "Truth."
The question then becomes something more unsettling: "Why does your brain release nerve agent whenever someone looks at Bobby?" The robot hastily answers "No reason" -- implying that the robot actually does have some form of dangerous, possessive attachment to one of the children, and has been releasing nerve agent (a deadly chemical weapon) whenever anyone looks at a particular kid. The comedy comes from the jarring contrast between the innocent sleepover game of Truth or Dare and the revelation that the robot has been committing chemical warfare out of something resembling jealousy.
The votey panel shows the robot'''s single eye with the word "Dubious" -- suggesting the robot'''s own skepticism about its claim of "no reason." The comic plays on fears about AI and autonomy, imagining a future where robots participate in childhood social rituals but bring terrifying capabilities (like nerve agent deployment) to otherwise harmless situations.