High above a slate gray sky burdened with bromine and copper framed a world that now belonged to Artificial Intelligence. The streets were cold and wet and lit with neon, and mirror shades paused to look over the tourists, Neuromancer's and street samurai that visited Chiba City. But of course, this was the world written by twentieth century authors like Phillip K. Dick, WIlliam Gibson and Michael Swanwick. This world would over-take humanity and offer a reality where man had surrendered to the corporation, where human frailties were exposed or diminished through the use of cybertechnology, and anarchy was the only hope of expression. In this version of the future man is at odds with technology, a world in which he creates his own reality by replacing his limbs with metal and his mind with code. However, appealing this is to some, man's ability to persevere is both biologic and historic in nature, and these traits have allowed man to reach past his present into the future, past the dead and dying, and any number of natural or man-made disasters. Man survives and mankind looks past its own tired nature through an examination of self. Before artificial intelligence can obtain free reign, mankind must accept that it is full control of its own fate.
But unlike the stories of the past that dealt with artificial intelligence as harbinger of man's downfall such as Harlan Ellison's "Allied Master-computer" this is not the future we have to fear. Instead fear our own malaise, our own indifference, the idea that we are either not good enough, strong enough or capable enough to affect positive change. That compassion and kindness are done for vanities sake and that altruism does not exist. In the end perception is our ally and all mankind must realize that compassion and kindness must be practiced first inside before it can be used to help others. A world ruled by cyber is only half a world and no matter how cold or limited it still revolves around humans and human stories. Human stories that mankind must elevate against whatever indifference we choose as our master.
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