Dystopia Chapter 2: We Occupy a Space

As a community, or for now a collective, we occupy a space we call home. Why we ended up at this locale, I know not. Seems we were all searching for a respite. A sanctuary city where we could find temporary relief. Maybe a more permanent home? Unlikely. Those are stories for a later date. All I know about the world: it is in a state of disintegration.

The rule of law that once kept humanity afloat has broken. Some of our Founding Fathers feared the social experiment would crumble. We would lack sufficient intellectual capacity and then ultimately, experience diminished virtue. There would be way too many competing belief systems incapable of mutual accommodation. Tribalism. Historically, political organizations and governments would bail. The United States, as a republic, seems to have maxed out after 250 years. Broken. Feels like a garden left unattended, where weeds are now in charge.

It is not just us; ignored global issues pushed to the side have added unwanted species to our garden. Problems talked about while avoiding centralized solutions led to our demise.

At the turn of the century, the mantra was, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Wrong. It’s math, stupid. The result of an unfettered global population and mismanaged wealth. Influenced by climate change, food insecurity, and current and future pandemics. Segregated health care and insufficient mental health resources. Disinformation, corruption, and authoritarianism. Unrestrained technology, less than/more than too much/not enough, eventually corrupted, defiled.

Over population. Now, best guess 9,735,034,000. A straightforward formula… more bodies occupying less acreage.

AGI, artificial general intelligence. Once a hypothetical type of AI that would apply knowledge across a wide range of tasks, like a human. Capable of enhanced decision-making and solving complex global problems. We thought it would handle the routine tasks, and those displaced in society would fill greater needs and ‘new’ endeavors. Warned there would be a cost: a commitment of water, power, and human capital. It became an economic factor worsening the inequality between the rich and the rest of us. Then, in 1983, a new term emerged — technological singularity. Defined as an event where AI surpasses human intelligence, leading to uncountable rapid advancements and profound societal change. Build it, and someone will surely abuse it. Capable of being recursively improved. It’s soulless, but it will preserve itself. Arrived much sooner than anyone could have predicted.

Ultimately, AI growth required massive data collection centers, computational hardware, immense electricity consumption, significant water usage, and the mining of natural materials. And reeducating humanity. And a race to the bottom. Meanwhile, climate change is debated, ignored for ‘shiny’ new possibilities.

The population is growing, but there is a problem: the growth is not evenly dispersed. Mostly south of the equator. And those south, migrated north. Environmental migration. Economic migration. Labor migration. Forced migration. Chain migration.

The causes are many, and this cooperative moment exists for now, tentative and provisional. Observe your surroundings. What do you notice? Fear, frustration, anger, certainly fatigue. We scoff. Mother Nature is correcting us, redirecting us, but truth be told, from the beginning of time, Mother Nature has sought to remove us, and Father Time is along for the ride. Pick your venom. Invasive plants are taking over our turf. Extinction of multiple species, animals and plants, daily. Some philosophers believe the world would improve without humans. I know non-human life forms would rejoice.

Everyone has a story. Our home’s called the Well.

Best guess, our numbers fluctuate between ninety and as many as a hundred-thirty-five. We have an unspoken understanding to maintain civility. We put aside likes and dislikes. This is an authentic version of Survivor, except we cannot vote anyone off the island — actually we can, and do, in a far more permanent fashion. Everyday seekers stand at our “front door” seeking access. We permitted a few people in — those with needed talents. Medical knowledge, horticulture, husbandry, carpentry, security, cooks, crooks,… “agronomist.” Others, sorry, move along. Guards monitor all entrance points. All guards are armed and willing to defend our home. Sneak in? Quickly removed!

There are tasks to be accomplished, and although there is a palpable attitude, everyone works for the greater good. How long this will last is questionable, but let’s be clear: it’s us against them, and those outside surrounding us will eventually push inward. That is inevitable.

What did I bring to the table? My contribution? Hell if I know.

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