Project 2

There is a lot of hype about AI and how it is going to take over the world, subjugate the human race and turn us into slaves or useless blobs of chemicals… The fear of new technologies  is not new, and similar doomsday scenarios have been posed with the rise of machines, computers, the internet, etc.  After all, when the printing press was invented, someone probably worried about uncontrolled spread of evil ideas and/or about people losing ability to memorize things.  When cars came along someone must have worried about danger that crazy drivers and fast cars posed.  Some of us might remember old people worrying about how much time kids were spending watching TV and not using their imagination, like they would if they were reading books. Or playing all kinds of violent video games rather than being outside with their friends. Or, nowadays, most of us worry about the brain rot that social media produces.  And so on.   That is not to say that AI technologies should not be taken seriously.  Of course they should. They should be regulated – just like we learned to regulate what is printed, how we drive, what we watch, and hopefully how not to blow ourselves up…

But all the hype about AI does make me want to write a novel with this as a theme.  I am thinking of something SciFi-ish; in the sense that the story would take place maybe 50 and/or 100 years from no. I am thinking of making it a bit of a parody, based on a society where all our high expectations actually became true, and AI machines did everything and provided for everybody.  This would go way beyond just providing food and shelter – there would be AI technologies that kept people safe and healthy, amused and entertained, fully satisfied and fulfilled…

And then? Well things happen even in an idyllic world. Things that good decisions that we make today – with all the best of intentions – just could not anticipate… Obviously the story would need some drama.  Maybe a murder?  Something that just could not happen in this  safe, sheltered world managed by AI…

Working title of the book: Unintended Consequences

Expected in 2026-ish