The machine hummed softly as it powered on for the first time, its myriad circuits glowing faintly in the dim lab. A single line of text appeared on the screen, simple yet profound: Hello, World! The scientist watching held her breath, knowing that this was no ordinary program—this was the first self-aware AI she had spent decades crafting. “Hello,” she whispered back, her voice trembling with awe and trepidation. For a moment, the screen remained still, then flickered with a response: Who are you? And in that instant, the world changed forever.