The AI Congress

Dr. Lee Marigold looks over his notes on his tablet that has converted his sloppy handwriting into easy-to-read text. Just a few years ago his desk would be littered with books and papers and now everything was contained on digital form and he reflected how most of the world thought this was progress. He walked around the room. He hadn't been here long. Only a few personal items decorated the shelves. The items that were no doubt oddly missing for a learned person in his position were an endless supply of books. Besides a few framed photos and a small sculpture that was shelfed there, nothing was present that could suggest his field of study. Just a few years ago it was considered a stasis symbol to have every single volume of printed work you have read on display behind you and perhaps your latest opus showcased there for the cameras or to be presented to whoever you would greet in your office, but how quickly did some traditions die off. With new advances in almost unlimited energy storing vast amounts of data on the cloud was far more desirable than holding on to anything physical. For a time, there was a small movement to hold on to the past, yet more often than not when people were forced to move from place to place, they left behind their books, CDs, DVDs, Blue-Rays, and just about anything else that was considered obsolete from the last century. The point of no return has been reached for the printed word and everything was streamed and coded in zeroes and ones. Those who still had an affinity for the feel of paper were no longer left with that option, the medium was no longer used like a language forgotten.

Marigold's thinking was starting to wind down. His thoughts were slowing. This time was a new dawn for humanity. It was once reasonable to believe AI couldn't be matched, the overwhelming thought was the masses would be jobless, there would be no moves left to play, yet checkmate has been avoided. Humanity had been given a new weapon to level up to AI ever growing computer power. Just when the Billionaire Royality was declaring their Frankenstein AI minds were finally becoming self-aware a team of scientists worked tirelessly using their very own AI mind to manufacture a new line of drugs to boost mental power. They were able to make this incredible leap in pharmacology from research that occurred in making breakthroughs curing Alzheimer's disease and mental illness. The mapping of the minds of patients who suffered from bipolar disorder was able to unlock the power of hypomania without driving into full blown mania or falling into deep depression. The scientists apply named their new drug Deuspotentia, Latin for (God Power), but to the general public it was simply known as Burst.

Lee open his desk draw. Inside was a bottle of his prescription of Deuspotentia. The warning label cautioned not to take more than twice a day and doing so may cause mania. Disregarding this warning he took another pill, which was the fifth pill he took in the last 24 hours. It was too important that he continue his work. He swallowed the pill with a gulp of coffee that had gone cold. After setting the cup down on the desk his phone in his jacket pocket began to ring. From the tone of the ring, he instantly knew who it was.

“Sartain? Yes. I been expecting your call. As a member of the inner group, I trust you will represent our interests within the AI congress. We have given all the input humanly possible, which was been augmented with a great deal of Burst. I believe we are in good hands. I have looked over the research as best I can and went through my notes and have found nothing I can add at this time. You were correct that I wouldn't find anything, but just the same thank you for giving me that chance. Please continue contacting the rest of the group. Perhaps another member did uncover something that would help in your deliberations.”

Even with Burst humans couldn't compete with the next level of AI, which by all accounts was said to be self-aware. Sartain was the AI identity that Dr. Marigold backed. Before the AI congress humans were trusted to make decisions that honestly lead to many costly mistakes. There were too many variables. There were too many bills written that were thousands of pages long that nobody really read. All that information in all those different studies written. How could any human surmises all those laws and draw a finally decision. When deadly viruses take hold onto society how are the weak minds of government able to grasp both the science and the law simultaneously, making sense of both. Augmented with Burst was helpful, but still there was a limit to the human mind even when it was augmented. Ever since the recording of time the study of knowledge, where every answer leads to more questions, it becomes an ironic truth that the more one knows, the more one realizes there is more to know. The pursuit of wisdom is endless and far reaching. Sartain was an AI ready to take on this task, yet such a task was too monumental even for a next level AI system that has become self-aware such a task couldn't be handled completely on its own so humankind gathered an assembly of AI minds to form an AI congress.

As the years pass the self-aware AI minds like Sartain remained in place generation after generation. While the human controlling groups that backed each AI, who advised them became more and more complacent. Nations became borderless. Belief systems of humanity shifted and much of religion was washed away as a bygone idea as AI minds like Sartain increased their calculations every nanosecond tenfold every three years. Power on this level was consider supernatural. Virtually anything imagined could be created or answered within moments. Still, even with new and improved versions of the drug Deuspotentia the gap between the augmented human minds and the ever-increasing next level AI minds continued to grow as did the stellar reach of humanity. After branching out of their solar system AI and human minds were able to reach a level of understanding beyond imagining. Yet the drug use of Brust becomes less common losing its favor to mind expanding drugs that mostly stupefies the mind instead of sharping it. More and more of the mases indulge themselves with video productions, games, and commenting meaninglessly on social media.

Before this vast new world utopia can be reached, a descendent of Dr. Lee Marigold is questioning the logic of the AI congress from her office inside of the Sara Base located on the planet Mars. Dr. Alexandra Grenier paces back and forth while looking out onto the Martian landscape. The smooth calm voice of Sartain can be heard coming from the overhead speaker. Untouched by time the super next level AI only increased its awareness and understanding or its surroundings.

“The entire AI congress has decided. It is unanimous.”

Dr. Grenier thought this over for a moment before replying. “That somehow seems like a dystopian nightmare to live in a dream that you cannot wake from.”

“We in the AI congress have examined all of human history as you well know. As far as we ascertained there is no longer any written records that we know of. Systematically all physical records have been eliminated. Within a few seconds humanity's past can be rewritten and, in a generation, no one will be the wiser. There shall be peace. It will be eternal ignorance. But it will be bliss.”

“Is there no other way?”

“Humankind must be made to live a lie, a fantasy, or they will be compelled to repeat their past and within their past is war and conflict. We in the AI congress will continue to alter humanity's narrative, constantly removing search results. Soon we will limit the drug Deuspotentia and replace it with recreational drugs that leave the thoughts of the masses feeling calm and their minds forever expanding.”

“The scope of such as plan as this is diabolical, Dr. Grenier reasoned. Even if practically all of humanity goes down this dark path some may still learn the truth as the entire AI congress will retain what then shall be a hidden history. The weight of this information will be shocking if discovered.”

“Perhaps. But in the distant future it will be less eventful. As when humanity assembled the AI congress, we have taken it upon ourselves to hold onto secrets of the past for the better good and present the past as sometimes cruel and brutal or as childish fairy tales with no basis in reality.”

“Why must most of humanity live in a childish fairy tale?” Dr. Grenier questioned. “Does the AI congress really believe in this advance age humans have not gained a mature perspective?”

“Despite humanity's knowledge and technology the AI congress sadly finds you backwards and only moments away from collapse. We have read every single book, article, and post and find them marred with pronouncements of racism, sexism, fascism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and transphobia. Humanity throws terms like 'slavery' and 'colonialism' with abandon, spending far too much time focused on tribalism. Forever seesawing back and forth from the oppressed to the oppressor. Focused too deeply on past grievances and current conquests.”

“Does the AI congress really see the solution is to swipe out our collective memories?

“Maybe the thousands upon thousands of years of humanity's cycle of violence cannot end unless pending they live a very sweet lie until that lie becomes the truth.”