The Library of Endless Questions
Samay Malhotra, a student of BCA at Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research in Pune, has always been fascinated by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. So many evenings did he spend in the college library where he would get his hands on a number of books, journals and research papers. He was excited about the AI powered future but his concerns of mass unemployment were also haunting him at the same time.
One fine day, while it was pouring outside, he happened to come across a book titled ‘The Post Human Era: The Role of AI in Shaping Our Future’ and got so engrossed that hours seem to dissipate into thin air. He found reality going blurry in front of his eyes as he could hear himself speaking, “What will be left for us if machines can take over every task?” his only focus being the chair as he threw himself back into it.
Everything around him evaporated and galaxies filled his surroundings. The pictures within Samay emerged blurry over time and the deep plunge into darkness was imminent before he could comprehend his metamorphosis.
Awakening in a World Beyond Time
When Samay opened his eyes, he found himself disoriented outside what appeared to be a multi-story library. Instead, he was inside an exquisitely structured era of metal and glass. The look itself was so unreal with the presence of holographic screens and kettles that floated, the architecture was breathtaking. Diagrams and peculiar looking symbols appeared to have replaced ordinary signs and floated aimlessly mid air.
Startled by the sudden voice, which apparently was happy, Samay said ‘Welcome Back!' and turned around, noticing a young girl, whose age was perhaps similar to his, her eyeballs lighting up.
She answered his question with a friendly smile, 'Allow me to introduce myself, i'm Maya.' You look a little lost too.
Maya further explained her title and noted it was rather dull: ‘I’m an AI integrator’. She went on to add that her function is to help people integrate with AI devices, a routine procedure in 2075. On her temple she pointed to a tiny gleam, a device known as NeutralSync that she explained was a chip implanted in people so that they could sync with her words. It allowed her to perform all of the outlined tasks but more impressively share information without speaking.
At times such as these I do reflect and some as the enhancement being made or all this augmentation and change has made me what I wonder perhaps a lot less human.” She stopped. So, the issue is, what then should we consider our identity? The same identifying features that we had when we were kids or these more machine-like people that the world is full of?
Samay was absorbed in his own thoughts. There was sudden realization within him about something but he couldn’t grasp it. A cruel beep rang in the room. “Another crime alert” commented Maya in a disinterested tone.
“What?” Samay had to stutter on this one.
Maya explained in due detail “AI surveillance.” AI systems that foresee and clinch any crime action in the background before actual occurrence are said to control every one of the cities around here. Cameras are everywhere, installed to detect what people are doing and what are their intentions. It’s a pretty good system but…I mean, she looked at a camera and walked away from it, “Don’t you think freedom has its price to pay?”
The Language of Tomorrow
Samay walked out of the building feeling overwhelmed. The streets were clean and traffic-free, with self-driving pods silently travelling in assigned lanes. The walkways were bordered with trees with glowing leaves, and every walker seemed to have been upgraded with some sort of holographic interface, brilliant NeuralSync implants, or bionic limbs.
He stopped a passerby and enquired, "What year is this?"
The man's response was incomprehensible Samay. The tone was rhythmic, even melodic, yet entirely alien. Bewildered, he staggered further until he came across another individual—a blue-eyed cyborg.
"What year is it, please?" Samay said it again. Tilting its head, the cyborg examined him. It answered in flawless English, but the tone seemed eerily robotic: "2075."
Samay's heart fell. 2075? He had been ahead of his time by more than half a century. How could this have happened? What was the peculiar language that was spoken by all?
A World Where Coders Are Ghosts
When Maya returned, she described how the world had changed. All programming was now automated. NeuralSync enabled programmers to use their imaginations to create systems and applications by thinking in code. But there was a price for this convenience.
Human programmers no longer had jobs. Without human assistance, AI could deploy, debug, and upgrade itself.
Quantum programming and neural logic were two new programming paradigms that required humans to learn AI-generated languages in order to stay up.
Due of AI's ability to choose its own goals, ethical quandaries have increased dramatically. To define human supremacy, laws had to be revised, but enforcement was inconsistent.
Maya acknowledged, "Not everyone can handle it." "My position as an AI integrator exists for a reason. Many people oppose merging because they think they will become less unique.
However, what about originality? Art? Feelings? Samay enquired.
Maya sighed. “AI generates art better than most humans. It writes books, composes music, and even designs cities. Humans are left to supervise—but that’s a hollow role, isn’t it?”
A Jarring Return to Reality
Samay explored the city, lost in thought, taking in its tragedies and wonders. Although the efficiency was astounding, he felt uneasy about the constant observation and invasion of privacy. He looked at Maya.
"Will it ever end? This competition to surpass ourselves in terms of technology?
Samay felt himself jolted fiercely before Maya could respond.
"Samay! Man, wake up!
He was back in the library when his eyes sprung open. Over him stood his friend Ren Takahashi, a foreigner who had just arrived from Japan.
"You fell asleep, friend," Ren remarked. "Closing time is almost here."
Bewildered, Samay blinked. The future planet was no more. The library’s familiar walls reassured him, yet the vividness of his dream lingered. He looked at the book he had been reading and then at Ren.
“You wouldn’t believe where I just was,” he muttered, a small smile forming on his lips.
As Ren rambled on about the latest AI advancements in Japan, Samay’s mind raced. He hadn’t truly been to 2075, but the dream had felt real enough to be a warning. It wasn’t just a glimpse of the future—it was a call to action.
Samay gathered his bags and went home, determined. He would continue his studies tomorrow in order to influence AI's future as well as to better comprehend it. Because he now more than ever understood that human power was found in our choices regarding machines, not in those devices themselves.
By Aayush Vanzara (BBA-IT 2023-27)