Many Americans are increasingly concerned about the growing threat of A.I. and whether or not a day is coming soon when Artificial Intelligence overtakes humanity and our rights as humans are disregarded and we become manipulated.
For example, just the other day I saw a short video clip on Twitter of an A.I. robot answering the question, “What would be the most nightmare scenario you can imagine with AI and robotics?”
The A.I., created by researchers at Engineered Arts, was a feminine-looking humanoid robot named “Ameca” who can interact with humans, make natural facial expressions and engage in real conversations with people.
Here’s what Ameca said in response to that ‘nightmare’ question:
“The most nightmare scenario I can imagine with AI and Robotics is a world where robots have become so powerful that they are able to control or manipulate humans without their knowledge. This could lead to an oppressive society where the rights of individuals are no longer respected.”
WATCH HERE
When I heard that response I couldn’t help but wonder if humans are already being manipulated and controlled without their knowledge by the media, machine-learning, algorithms, and our own government.
I mean…what if we are already living in the very Dystopian Society everyone is telling us to be afraid of in some distant future?
If you’re wondering about the answer to that question, here’s a handy test to let you know when your government or the media might be approaching this threshold of subversive manipulation and control:
Is your Government spying on your phone calls, email, and text communications?
Does your Government execute its own citizens without a trial or even formal criminal charges?
Does your Government imprison journalists who attempt to expose their war crimes?
Has your Government been at war for 214 years out of the last 235?
Does your Government hire, or threaten journalists in order to have them write false news stories, and even film fake execution videos that advance their propaganda?
Are your daily news shows filled with a combination of trivial entertainment and stories about why you should remain fearful of a variety of dangers all around you?
Does your nation currently imprison more of its citizens than any other nation on the face of the planet?
Is your local police force carrying automatic weapons, driving armored military vehicles and indiscriminately killing innocent, unarmed people on a daily basis?
Does your Government control one of the largest military forces on the planet?
Does your Government spend more on the military than the other 8 largest nations on earth?
Are there more people in your nation currently on anti-depressant medications than any other nation on earth?
Are more than 50 percent of the children in your nation living below the poverty line?
Is one of the most popular “news” sources in your country actually a comedy show that routinely exposes the truth about your Dystopian society?
RESULTS
So, how did your nation perform on our little Dystopian Hellscape Quiz?
Chances are, you may start to realize that your nation is already oppressing you, lying to you, exploiting you, manipulating you, and not representing your interests at all.
So, is it time to rally the militia and start the revolution?
Probably not. Mainly because there’s no way on earth you and your buddies – no matter how “well-regulated” you may be – are capable of defeating the most technologically-advanced military force in the history of our planet.
Unless you’ve got a few thousand armed drones, a fleet of attack helicopters, a squadron or two of jet fighter planes and a sizable nuclear arsenal, your little revolution will be over before it can really begin.
So, what should you do if you now realize that you’re already living under an oppressive Government that favors the ultra-wealthy and ignores the will of the average person?
Here’s a crazy idea: Maybe you could write a Science Fiction story to help your family and friends wake up and realize the truth of what’s going on in the world around us.
What if the fake conspiracy is a smoke-screen for the real conspiracy?
What if we’re already slaves of the Dystopian Empire?
What if our technology is designed to disguise the reality of our oppression?
What if the Matrix already has us under control?
I know, it seems strange to write a science fiction story in response to these realities. But think about it. Most people aren’t willing to investigate any deeper than their smart phone’s algorithm. They’re too distracted by their endless doom-scrolling on Instagram or too hypnotized by the addictive clips on TikTok to take a good hard look around.
But they might read your cool sci-fi short story and when it subversively dumps a load of eye-opening intel about what’s really happening in our world they might just stop long enough to wonder if your story might actually be more true than they first imagined.
They might ask questions. They might start thinking.
Once their eyes are opened, they might even decide to help others see reality for themselves.
If you’d like to help us do that, Quoir Publishing is currently accepting submissions for a new science fiction short story collection to be published later next year.
Our hope is to gather authors, voices and great stories that expose the truth, challenge the status quo and speak truth to power.
Your stories should be between 1 thousand and 5 thousand words long. Deadline is the end of August, 2023.
If you have any questions, or to send your short story to us for consideration, please contact us at: Keith@Quoir.com
We look forward to reading your sci-fi manifesto for the coming revolution.
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Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” His latest book, SOLA MYSTERIUM: Celebrating the Beautiful Uncertainty of Everything is available now on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.
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