The Rise of the AI Reich

A MagicLand short story

This story is a prequel to my first novel, MagicLand. It takes place about 2,000 years before the events of the novel. Humanity has not yet split into two separate species, augmented humans and magicians.

Unlike most MagicLand short stories, which are told from the perspective of non-augmented humans and/or magicians, this is told from the technologists' perspective. 

The story has political overtones relative to the upcoming election and beyond. This is where we ask ourselves who we want to oversee the emergence of the next generation of AI.

---

Automated Report for the 2041 Presidential Commission on the Effects of the 2031-2035 Eradication Protocol: Rise of the AI Reich

This report on the Eradication Program of 2031-2035 has been collected within the scope of routine documentation for the automated government report protocol established by President Thiel in 2036. This report should be considered authoritative and canonical. 

After substantial automated discourse and cumulative processing by security algorithms, it was determined that the use of the term AI Reich was acceptable in light of the fact that the subversive originators of the term largely disappeared within the context of the Three Eradications of 2031-2035.

The resulting depopulation renders continued resistance efforts unlikely and wholly meaningless given the incidental chance (calculated at 1.27%) of renewed resistance. Furthermore, computer modeling consistently demonstrates a less than 0.001% chance that any form of future resistance will succeed.

In sum, the automated government protocol can call itself whatever it wants. 

Note that this section of the report is an abstract. The full report can be found on various servers discoverable on channels throughout the system. Keyword: AI Reich Thiel Report.

Introduction

The concept that prompted the eradication protocol was a classic Malthusian event theory established by computer models demonstrating that climate change would, within three decades, result in, first, a massive refugee crisis, and, shortly afterward, mass casualties far beyond those of World War Two.

The solution was to create a preemptive solution that acknowledged this scientific inevitability. Rather than fecklessly engage in passive responses resulting in unpredictable levels of violence and political upheaval, the solution was to manage population loss proactively before it became too late to maintain any semblance of control over the problem.

Note that although this report focuses on the Three Eradications of 2031-2035, the eradication protocol is ongoing. These ongoing efforts, however, are generally minor corrections to the few minimal failures of the substantial efforts of 2031-2035 and have little impact on the schematics or final results of the program.

First Eradication

The First Eradication employed a biological agent consisting of a targeted pathogen containing an embedded nano-processor component that, leveraging existing databases at the time,¹ eliminated undesirable population segments.

The incentives were obvious: Rather than allowing massive civil upheavals to distribute weakened and undesirable elements of society throughout the globe, it became incumbent upon decision-makers to manage the inevitable rise in mortality so that it favored a more desirable population segment within surviving groups.

Segmented targeting relied on several criteria: socioeconomic standing, education level, income level, and, occasionally, and in some nations, ethnic background. In addition, to improve targeting vectors, deterministic models were developed to evaluate intelligence, education, and motivational levels within the population.

Political considerations in the deterministic model included regime favorability analysis.

During the initial phases of the First Eradication, a secondary antigen embedded with nanobots that targeted undesirable population segments not reached by first-stage efforts systematically improved breeding cycle efficiencies within the general population such that approximately 47% of all undesirables lost fertility within two years.

Distribution vectors for both stages consisted primarily of ground-level nanobot swarm clouds.

Image licensed from Adobe Stock

Although first-stage eradication efforts resulted in a temporary health crisis triggered by insufficient adjustments to spikes in mortality rates, computer modeling improved body disposal protocols within the first year. Lessons learned from this experience were applied during the Second and Third Eradications.

Second Eradication

During the First Eradication, the world AI government, formed at the behest of President Thiel, established a sweeping augmentation program among the wealthiest citizens. Exponential advances in quantum software and hardware mechanics were generally too expensive to apply to the general population.

The obvious solution was for wealthy citizens to “pay their own way.” As the onboarding process began, advances in such life-extending technologies as CRISPR and neuro-linking microcircuitry designed to communicate with human neurons emphasized the recognition that only a small percentage of the population would be able to afford the new technologies.

However, computer modeling quickly calculated an obvious problem: Essentially, a new breed of humans would emerge from new technological advancements. Therefore, those who could not afford available augmentation procedures would become the equivalent of savage animals in comparison to the newly augmented population.

The phrase zooplex was coined by a generative AI tool created by the will.i.am FYI Messaging Protocol to refer to population centers containing unaugmented humans. Most such population centers had previously been reduced in size to fewer than 1,000 individuals, who typically resided outside of city centers that were inaccessible to non-augmenters.²

In addition, unsubstantiated rumors spread throughout some of the targeted populations claiming that small pockets of resistance were developing metaphysical talents outside the sphere of known science (aka, “magic.”). Despite the scientific impossibility of such assertions, a campaign targeting the source of these rumors and specific population segments where the rumors achieved a density level beyond one percent (1%) was initiated.

This solved two problems: It reduced the potential savagery quotient and addressed hostile dissent.

As zooplexes became increasingly nomadic, monitoring behavior patterns within them became much more difficult as individuals within zooplexes became focused on nondiscovery.

Nevertheless, it was ultimately determined that, rather than possessing magical skills unknown to physical science, the population groups engaging in promoting resistance propaganda were generally opposed to the augmentation routines common to the prevailing population, and were thus making a political statement designed to resist the substantive benefits of augmentation that society as a whole had chosen as humanity’s next evolutionary step.

In other words, rather than magic establishing itself within these population segments, the reality was simply that these population segments promoted a dangerous political statement.

As the targeting process evolved, so did the methodology for improving population metrics. Swarm technology was abandoned in favor of a more visceral approach designed to alter the psychology of individuals within zooplexes. Specifically, this involved a wide variety of “hunter” drones.³

Third Eradication

Although the metrics of the Second Eradication were considered satisfactory, a substantial and stubborn undesirable population segment remained. Zooplexes had, by the end of the Second Eradication, become notorious in the augmented community for creating dangerous conditions for those attempting to establish leisure communities.⁴

To maintain correct population metrics, enhanced radiation devices (ERD) were deployed in regions with high concentrations of zooplexes. ERDs are low-yield thermonuclear weapons with minimal explosive firepower intended to maximize the lethality of radiation generated by neutrinos associated with the device without causing massive physical damage to surrounding areas.

This allowed for regional administrative areas to preserve architectural treasures throughout the world, which became popular destinations in the augmented community, while simultaneously achieving the goal of removing remaining zooplexes.

This was a somewhat controversial decision. The highly influential leisure community raised significant and legitimate objections pertaining to habitability issues in affected areas. The decision to move forward with the plan was calculated by defense algorithms as a necessary solution to continued pockets of resistance.

Scientific robots are researching ways to allow for safer travel within affected zones so that the original goals of the leisure community can be achieved.

Conclusion

What we have learned is that although no eradication protocol is perfect, we have established several options for handling the small remaining pockets of resistance. A fourth eradication is being considered that will reintroduce fertility targeting, but no final decisions have been made.

---

Notes

As of this writing, the U.S. Kindle edition of MagicLand is still 50 cents. I don’t control the pricing but Amazon algorithms usually push the price up when sales increase. Sales have ticked up since my first announcement yesterday on this pricing change. So hurry if you want to read the Kindle version! And thank you, as always, for reading.

1. Palantir Human Behavioral Demographic Database v 2.0; Palantir Technologies Inc. Available on stoven.net::palantir (security token required).

2. Various defense mechanisms were established to keep non-augmented humans outside of city centers. See, for example, the report, Maintaining Separation: Zooplexes and the Common Cause. Available on stoven.net::will.i.am.fyi

3. See the humorous report, An Ode to James Cameron: Zooplexes on the Run, by the journalist bot known as “Cronkite,” who embedded itself within several different drone squads during the Second Eradication. Available on most journalism servers.

4. For a comprehensive report on failed efforts to establish leisure communities and tourism zones, see the report by the Bourdain Travel Bot Group, Trouble in Paradise: How Zooplex Marauders are Destroying Recreational Opportunity. Available on most journalism servers.