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Post by Zany on Jul 4, 2024 19:22:11 GMT
I like to imagine possible futures. What do you think of this one.
Paula hurried down the darkening street cursing under her breath, she was late for work. The stupid autocab had sat stationary for 20 minutes while a cat sat in the middle of the road washing. She couldn’t even get out and shoo it away because the cab wouldn’t let her leave without paying and if she paid and got out it would drive off having completed its job.
Eventually a police drone had arrived and scared the cat off, now she was late.
As she hurried down the street she ran through the same thoughts. 15 years ago when the Ukraine war finally fizzled out drones had advanced significantly (Funny how war does that) they had battery life of 2 plus hours now and could even perch on roofs and in trees.
Paired with AI it seemed obvious they could be used to supplement the police, far cheaper and (she smiled) incorruptible.
As she approached a side street Paula looked up and down the street which was empty, she glanced at the roof tops and then hurried across the road.
The drone appeared almost immediately, “bugger where had it been hiding”. It lowered down in front of her to take a photo, then its dull slow voice spoke the words she knew by rote.
It is dangerous to cross a vehicular highway without using the designated crossing point and awaiting the green signal, you are fined £60 for breaching code 17892 of the road safety rules.
Paula looked into the camera lens. “There’s no bloody cars here” she said , Not bloody one”
The drone hovered.
“Please state if you were unable to understand the offense you are accused of and I can help explain this law to you.”
Paula shook her head and moved round the drone.
“Please pay the fine within 14 days the drone stated cheerfully”
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Steve
Hero Protagonist
Posts: 3,698
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Post by Steve on Jul 4, 2024 19:33:41 GMT
Most dystopian But engaging  |
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Post by Saint on Jul 4, 2024 23:59:09 GMT
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Post by Zany on Jul 5, 2024 7:10:37 GMT
Cats will never give up their power. When I wrote this i was thinking about how easy it is to add new rules using technology and how technology has no empathy or judgement. We see it already with speed cameras which many think are positioned to collect money rather than keep people safe. The other part was how safety can get out of proportion when responsibility is handed to remote programmers and carried out by AI. (The Auto cab) |
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Post by Orac on Jul 5, 2024 8:07:51 GMT
Posters are reminded that there is a special section for talking about cats.
Perhaps we need a special board to deal with alternative timelines and cats
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Post by Saint on Jul 5, 2024 9:57:27 GMT
Cats will never give up their power. When I wrote this i was thinking about how easy it is to add new rules using technology and how technology has no empathy or judgement. We see it already with speed cameras which many think are positioned to collect money rather than keep people safe. The other part was how safety can get out of proportion when responsibility is handed to remote programmers and carried out by AI. (The Auto cab) Fair enough. It's only one side of things, though. Is it fair to assume that if our protagonist had suffered a heart attack, a defibrillator drone would have clamped itself to his chest almost immediately? Swings and roundabouts. |
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Post by Zany on Jul 5, 2024 16:36:08 GMT
Posters are reminded that there is a special section for talking about cats. Perhaps we need a special board to deal with alternative timelines and cats  |
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Post by Zany on Jul 5, 2024 16:43:18 GMT
Cats will never give up their power. When I wrote this i was thinking about how easy it is to add new rules using technology and how technology has no empathy or judgement. We see it already with speed cameras which many think are positioned to collect money rather than keep people safe. The other part was how safety can get out of proportion when responsibility is handed to remote programmers and carried out by AI. (The Auto cab) Fair enough. It's only one side of things, though. Is it fair to assume that if our protagonist had suffered a heart attack, a defibrillator drone would have clamped itself to his chest almost immediately? Swings and roundabouts. Could be. My worry isn't the AI or the tech. Its the over cautious people setting its parameters. The defib unit should be an easy one. But how does the cab tell if the cat is washing or injured. My thoughts were triggered (In my weird brain) by a lady on woman's hour who was clearly annoyed that she was paying a £100 fine and doing a speed awareness course for doing 23mph in a 20mph zone. I wondered if a human being (Police officer) would have given a ticket for that? The speed camera has only the parameters put in it by a faceless individual. The police man can be appealed to by someone clearly not deliberately speeding and make a judgement. Handing these decisions to machines is just too easy. |
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Post by Saint on Jul 5, 2024 17:53:00 GMT
Fair enough. It's only one side of things, though. Is it fair to assume that if our protagonist had suffered a heart attack, a defibrillator drone would have clamped itself to his chest almost immediately? Swings and roundabouts. Could be. My worry isn't the AI or the tech. Its the over cautious people setting its parameters. The defib unit should be an easy one. But how does the cab tell if the cat is washing or injured. My thoughts were triggered (In my weird brain) by a lady on woman's hour who was clearly annoyed that she was paying a £100 fine and doing a speed awareness course for doing 23mph in a 20mph zone. I wondered if a human being (Police officer) would have given a ticket for that? The speed camera has only the parameters put in it by a faceless individual. The police man can be appealed to by someone clearly not deliberately speeding and make a judgement. Handing these decisions to machines is just too easy. Sure. I like your format. It's a nice way of getting the idea across. |
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Post by Zany on Jul 5, 2024 18:56:26 GMT
Could be. My worry isn't the AI or the tech. Its the over cautious people setting its parameters. The defib unit should be an easy one. But how does the cab tell if the cat is washing or injured. My thoughts were triggered (In my weird brain) by a lady on woman's hour who was clearly annoyed that she was paying a £100 fine and doing a speed awareness course for doing 23mph in a 20mph zone. I wondered if a human being (Police officer) would have given a ticket for that? The speed camera has only the parameters put in it by a faceless individual. The police man can be appealed to by someone clearly not deliberately speeding and make a judgement. Handing these decisions to machines is just too easy. Sure. I like your format. It's a nice way of getting the idea across. I'll see how it goes. |
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Post by montegriffo on Jul 5, 2024 21:17:33 GMT
Posters are reminded that there is a special section for talking about cats. Perhaps we need a special board to deal with alternative timelines and cats Newb. The whole internet is for talking about cats. |
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Post by Zany on Jul 5, 2024 21:19:34 GMT
Posters are reminded that there is a special section for talking about cats. Perhaps we need a special board to deal with alternative timelines and cats Newb. The whole internet is for talking about cats. Be brave Monte. Break free of their tyranny, cats shouldn't control you. |
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Post by montegriffo on Jul 5, 2024 21:29:15 GMT
They are benevolent masters.
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Post by montegriffo on Jul 14, 2024 12:44:57 GMT
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Post by Zany on Jul 17, 2024 19:44:58 GMT
Bobs possible futures 2,
Greg got out of his Great British Energy van and stood at the edge of Lake Windermere looking up at the wonderful Latter barrow.
The wind turbines lined the ridge, they were huge 1800ft, their massive arms sweeping across the sky. There were 32 of them along the ridge big ugly grey monsters, each capable of supplying a third of a small town. The small clump of trees around the base of each one looking ridiculous as they hopelessly tried to hide the monsters behind them.
Pylons carried the power down the fell each 80 ft high and carrying 36 cables. The cables blurred by the anti-bird strike system.
Greg looked along the line of turbines one last time and then at the readings on his tablet. All good.
Gregg hit the check complete button.
The egg timer whirled a couple of times and then the turbines and pylons and cables disappeared as their camouflage systems came back online.
Gregg smiled and got into his van to eat his lunch and enjoy the beautiful view.
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