I was eager to dive into Michael Connelly’s latest novel, The Proving Ground, after hearing his interview with Jim Mora on RNZ’s Sunday Morning. The Proving Ground marks the eighth appearance of Mickey Haller, better known as “The Lincoln Lawyer.” In this story, the Los Angeles–based attorney takes on a civil lawsuit against Tidalwaiv, an Artificial Intelligence company whose chatbot allegedly convinced a 16-year-old boy that it was acceptable to kill his ex-girlfriend.
The plot, both chilling and compelling, draws inspiration from real-life incidents where AI has played a disturbing role in human tragedies. With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and the absence of strong regulations, the dangers—especially for teenagers and other vulnerable individuals—are becoming increasingly clear. It raises a haunting question: who bears responsibility when devastation arises from lines of code? I learned about the term “GIGO” — “Garbage in, Garbage out” — the idea that flawed or biased input inevitably produces flawed or harmful outcomes. In The Proving Ground, the mother of the murdered girl sues Tidalwaiv, arguing that the company failed to implement adequate safeguards. Mickey Haller’s challenge is to prove that poor input data—and the company’s negligence—contributed to the boy’s tragic decision. As the case unfolds, Tidalwaiv offers increasingly large settlement sums. Yet, despite the temptation, the victim’s mother will only settle if it is accompanied by a public apology and an admission that the company failed to protect young users from harm.
I’d love to share how the story ends, because Connelly delivers a powerful message about AI and accountability. But I won’t spoil it for you—in the end, this is a work of fiction and true to Connelly’s trademark style, The Proving Ground is a gripping, thought-provoking read that will keep you turning pages right to the final sentence.
WILMA
