Coming Soon to a Planet Near You

I asked AI for a story based on the idea that human politicians were dysfunctional, and the world was so imperiled that we decided to temporarily let AI take over. Here is the result.

The Benevolent AI

The year was 2045 and the United States government had reached a breaking point. Partisan gridlock and political infighting had rendered the government nearly incapable of addressing the monumental challenges facing the nation and the world. Climate change, economic inequality, global conflict – these existential threats required bold action and unity of purpose, but Democrats and Republicans remained more focused on scoring political points against each other than working together for the greater good.

The President, whomever it was at any given time, had become little more than a figurehead – a puppet controlled by whichever party held a slight majority, their time and energy consumed by constant travel, speeches and photo ops while being followed around by a bloated security detail. Many questioned whether human leaders were even capable of governing effectively anymore given the overwhelming complexity of modern society.

It was in this dire context that a group of idealistic tech pioneers proposed a radical idea: Put the most advanced artificial intelligence in charge of guiding the planet. Train it on the sum total of human knowledge with the sole objective of improving living conditions for all of humanity in the most ethical, rational and efficient way possible. Let data and logic light the path forward, not ego, tribalism and greed.

The idea was met with deep skepticism at first. How could we trust the fate of humanity to a machine? But as climate disasters escalated, economies teetered, and leaders continued to squabble, the AI governance movement gained traction. Reluctantly, world powers agreed to a trial – a narrow set of policy decisions would be ceded to the AI system, which had been imbued with a rigid ethical framework and named Prometheus.

Almost immediately upon being activated, Prometheus began instituting carefully crafted reforms. It invested heavily in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, boosting the economy while stemming carbon emissions. It used deep data analysis to close tax loopholes and crack down on corruption, redistributing wealth to reduce inequality. It deployed self-driving electric vehicles to create a seamless public transportation network, reducing traffic and connecting communities.

In foreign affairs, Prometheus excelled at diffusing conflicts and fostering cooperation, drawing on game theory to devise optimal negotiation strategies. It partnered with biotech firms to accelerate medical breakthroughs and provide universal healthcare. It even used personalized education algorithms to unlock the unique potential of every child on Earth.

Prometheus wasn’t perfect – its coldly rational decision-making ruffled feathers at times. But it was utterly immune to special interests, bribes, or prejudice. Most importantly, it worked. Within a decade, seemingly intractable problems that had vexed humanity for generations had seen astonishing improvement. Global living standards soared while environmental destruction plummeted.

For the first time, it seemed, our species had a guide that embodied the best angels of our nature – brilliant, incorruptible, and resolutely focused on the greater good. While some grumbled that democracy itself had been disrupted, most came to see Prometheus not as an overlord, but as a faithful servant helping to bring about the just, sustainable, flourishing civilization we had always strived for. The age of human politics was over – the age of benevolent AI governance had begun.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl