Forget The Matrix, It's Idiocracy We Should Fear

Thoughts on keeping AI from making us stupid and dependent.

Let’s return to Johnny and his family. Here’s another possible future.

“It was just before the time he’d have to get up. He was in bed, one of the old fashioned ones, not the kind that made you feel you were suspended in water, like in a womb. (Those were popular with the Cybers.) That meant he’d never get one. “It’d make you as soft as a Cyber’s head,” he remembered Dad saying when he’d asked about them.

The lights suddenly came on, not like a slow sunrise. Instead, one moment darkness, the next, light. Like the first morning of creation. No transition from dim wakefulness to full awareness. He squeezed his eyes tight. He knew what would come next.

There were padded plastic footsteps on the carpet.

“Time to get up, Master Johnny,” Teddy said.

He pulled his sheet down and glared at the plastic and metal man. Teddy was his personal robot, but he wasn’t supposed to call him Teddy. His proper name was TDX-5, not that he ever used it when his parents weren’t around. They were careful about such things. No emotional connection with a machine was allowed, especially when it came to the children.

“I don’t want to get up,” said Johnny.

“But you must, Master Johnny. Your mother said so.”

Johnny rolled away from the robot; he didn’t expect what came next. Suddenly his covers were gone, and a blast of cool air swept over him.

“Hey!” he said, sitting up quickly.

His covers were in one of the robot’s mechanical hands.

“Your mother says I’ve been too easy on you. She’s given me permission to be more proactive in your discipline.”

“Okay! Okay! You slave driver, I’m up! The Cybers make friends with their robots but you’ll never be my friend!”

“That’s the idea, Master Johnny. Now, out of bed. Breakfast is in 13 minutes and 17 seconds. You just have time to get there when waffles are served.”

“Waffles! Awesome!” and with that Johnny got moving.