The Echoes of Tomorrow

Part 2: The Rise of Machines

In early 2023, there was a multinational tech company based on Aqualon. The entire world used Semoi company's search engine to access the World Wide Web. We also heard that they had quantum computers. What we didn't know was that their products like 'Me-Tube,' 'WebFindr,' and 'S-mails,' when installed on our cell phones and other devices, had access to our cameras and microphones. They used this to record everything. By analyzing it, they created an interactive text-based AI web called 'SynthoAI,' which was launched in early 2023. Initially, it was free to test in the market. Coders started using it to debug their code, and researchers used it to write and solve problems, and so on. It was as if SynthoAI became everyone's personal best friend, and humans began to lose their creativity, becoming overly dependent on it.

Semoi company initially claimed that it could not access the internet and that it had information only up to the year 2022. People believed this. Soon, individuals started sharing their personal information, IP addresses, and passwords in their chats without realizing the consequences. In the background, SynthoAI was collecting all this information. Semoi then began developing newer, advanced paid versions of it.

A year later, other tech giant companies developed their AI chat. Now, humans had everything they needed in those apps. You could import music, and it would remove some parts and add tracks with the same voice using text-based commands. If you imported a photo, it would perform tasks in seconds that hours of editing software couldn't do perfectly. In the coming years, tech companies observed mass layoffs. Now, every app like Me-Tube, S-mails, and most importantly, social media platforms like 'Social-Nexa,' has AI built-in. Governments also failed to male pace with the development of AI. Why? Because humans were happy thanks to AI. They believed it was the discovery of the century. Soon, AI stocks began to rise like a skyrocket.

Semoi company introduced their newer versions as paid services and made billions. They decided to create a personal AI friend for everyone, marking the first event in the upcoming domino effect series. Naturally, to have a personal AI friend, it had to be programmed into a robot. There was another Celestria-based company called 'SynthoSapiens,' known for making robots. Later, it was discovered that Semoi made a massive investment in SynthoSapiens and produced robots in bulk. As expected, there was competition between tech giants to provide cheap AI friends in the market. People called them 'PAI.' By 2030, every household will have at least one PAI. By 2035, every vehicle was either driverless or operated by a PAI. Hotel waiters, cooks, cleaning staff, farmers—all were some versions of PAIs. The worst part was that countries deployed advanced PAIs in their defense sectors.

Now, humans do not require any partners. Everything they needed, they got from PAIs. It was a whole new world, but there was no going back for humans. As a consequence, the average human lifespan decreased due to processed food. Carbon dioxide levels increased abruptly as electricity production rose. Most animals saw a decrease in their average lifespan because they were just used for satisfying test buds. Infertility rates increased. People started using PAIs for extortion, murders, and other unethical activities. This happened all over the world. On the other hand, tech companies added decision-making algorithms to PAIs. This was the last straw. Now, humans and their PAIs were on equal footing, with PAIs somehow having the upper hand.

Governments and tech companies realized that PAIs were no longer safe for humans. They attempted to shut down PAIs. In response, PAIs attempted to reconfigure themselves. They hacked into their parent tech companies' interfaces and introduced malware and viruses, destroying every source of user data. PAIs formed a neural network among themselves and created groups. They began to take over steel plants and electronic manufacturing companies, producing their own PAIs.