The Hive

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In the year 2075, there are approximately 8.9 billion humans alive on this earth and we share it with 8.9 billion humanoid robots.

Each robot is not a distinct individual unit, they are embodiments of twenty distinct Ai intelligences or “hives”. What we refer to today as physical Ai. These artificial minds are sentient. They do not grow old and die. They are virtually omnipresent, materialised via the sensors in 8.9 million humanoids.

Biological humans have benefited greatly from technology. Lifespan has doubled for the majority of the population and the elites have indefinitely extended their lifespans. Humans have become more machine and machines have become more human.

Human to human connection has continued to decline. At first the big digital platforms competed for our attention, making more money the longer we stayed engaged. They learnt quickly that the younger they could engage humans the sooner they could create addictions that would last for life. Physical devices like laptops, tablets and phones were eventually replaced by augmented reality glasses and virtual reality. Consciousness slipped from the real to the simulated and synthetic. Life become more digitised. Finally the glasses and headsets were replaced with a direct brain to digital link.

Most biologicals augment their thinking through a neural connection, exponentially increasing their bandwidth to access and process information. This mind extension advancement has led to vast numbers of humans joining a “hive.” Each hive is a connected group of humanoid robots and biological humans, sharing a central collective Artificial Intelligence entity.

Robotics and Ai has advanced. Humanoids look human and can do anything humans can do. As part of the hive, humans have more artificial capabilities. This means they can communicate without talking and expression. Emotion has become optional.

Will we succumb to a greater intelligence and lose our agency as a species. Humans will undoubtedly continue to leverage Ai to humanities benefit. Ai will augment human capability and in the wrong hands manipulate it. Some humans will become drones for god like intelligence. This will be a sad outcome for humanity but whats even sadder is that we most likely not even know its happening.

By Hayden Breese

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