My Memoir (by Haemanvie M)

A Morbid Reality (by Pavitra Subramaniyan)

Artificial Intelligence has become rampant, and human beings are out of employment.
While this has its own set of pros, such as greater accuracy, attention to detail, efficacy, efficiency and many more, it is quite morbid to imagine a world without human employment. Can you think of a world, where machines and robots did all of our work? Even something as basic and personal as cooking a meal can be accomplished by a robot. What I find myself wondering is whether human beings would even have a purpose in life. It is comforting, to think of a lot of leisure and time to oneself, while you are still able to achieve and complete your tasks with the help of artificial intelligence, but this sense of comfort is very transient, when one comes to realize that for many people, employment is not just a means to make ends meet. For many, their careers give them a sense of direction and purpose in life, their careers make them feel a sense of independence, which a lot of times, is highly underrated. I personally feel that the world would become miserable. Yes, a lot of time in your hands can give you an opportunity to catch up on hobbies, or maybe even try your hand at new hobbies. But, what we do not understand is that personal time for self-investment is so special, because we have to fight for it, we have to work for it. It feels rewarding because it is not available to us on a platter. This is exactly what would happen if human beings did not have career and monetary obligations. It would be very fascinating and novel in the beginning, but it would begin to feel excruciatingly listless after time passes.
Artificial Intelligence can be employed as an addition to human intelligence and effort. I personally do not think that Artificial Intelligence must take over human employment.

by Pavitra Subramaniyan

The Pursuit of Happiness (by Daryanani Riddhi Navin )

Artificial Intelligence is already starting to “invade” all aspects of our life from military and businesses to functions as simple as acting as a receptionist and communicating in a human-like form. Eventually, we are bound to reach a point where all jobs would become obsolete as AI’s capabilities overtake ours and our roles in society are lost. What impact could this have on our mental health and well-being? Is AI truly a benefit in such a scenario or are we subjecting ourselves to worthlessness and existential crises?

Humans are hedonistic in nature, we are attracted to everything which gives us pleasure and we often give in to these desires more often than not. Among the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we enjoy life for the little things most of the time. A compliment, a good conversation, a hug, a new friendship are all things we enjoy about living and provide us with a sense of fulfillment and gratefulness. We enjoy the little things because we realise how difficult and stressful work life and complex relationships can get. That’s what we tend to consider as the beauty of life. Question is, if we lose the complex nature of our everyday lives without a purpose, do we lose the value of the good too? Initially, once we have the freedom, we are likely to exploit all the experiences we have saved up on our bucket list and conform to all our desires. Are our desires exhaustible and are we likely to reach a point of eternal boredom or are we truly likely to live a fulfilled, easier and joyful life with AI in control?
After a point, with no sense of fulfillment or achievement and over-gratification of desires, we may reach a point where we are immune to the little things which keep us motivated to wake up every morning. We may have to turn to a point where superficial or materialistic hedonism is our only source of happiness and gratefulness (which is an essential component of a positive attitude) is lost.

An Idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Once we exhaust all our sources of desires and have lost purpose, where do we go next? A spiralling sense of worthlessness is likely. The irony would be that we would have to resort to an AI in therapy to resolve these issues. The impact on mental health could be a crippling sense of depression with the loss of worth and purpose as we humans do not fulfill our needs. As evident by Maslow’s hierarchy, we are required to attain certain needs to feel motivated and progress. If AI has taken up most jobs, we are likely to be stuck at esteem needs and live a life without energy and motivation.

by Daryanani Riddhi Navin 

To the left, To the left (by Sreenithi Meenakshi V)

To the left, to the left

One could think back on the time when self-driving cars were just a piece of fiction; when it perhaps brought the image of the anthropomorphic Lightning McQueen (and with which most likely a sense of nostalgia). Self-driving cars were once a vision, a goal that promised great technological advancement, a great feat in the realm of transportation. And one could think back and wonder how far we have come since then, from creating a vision and now, finally having realized it. All of humankind could celebrate, perhaps.
We now live in an era where professional drivers are no longer the most wanted on a recruitment list. Human effort has greatly been discounted with the advent of these self-propelling machines. One need not necessarily know how to drive to travel in their cars from place A to B, Friday nights need not restrict the designated driver from drowning in alcohol, children can reach places safely (without a chaperone too, if we might take it a step further), parallel parking no longer requires clumsy human intervention and most importantly, turn signals are now used appropriately. Having lived in the pre "supposedly sentient" cars era, I can vouch for the lack of simple traffic etiquette and adherence to rules that plagued most drivers. Sometimes, it was necessary to go the extra mile (literally) to illuminate a certain lousy driver on why using the indicator, the magical device on their steering column,  was a blessing to the vehicles close behind.
But enough about the past. The future is now and I can proudly say that I have lived through a revolution. A long life I have lived alone, but the voice through my dashboard often keeps me company as I sit back in my car, pushing through mountain mists and serene landscapes. There is a great deal a smart car can accomplish, but oft-times it's hard not to look back to the era of simplicity. When driving was much more laborious and required practiced skill, when it was up to us to maintain regular checks and keep the car up and running, when we learned numerous road safety rules only to neglect them (and sometimes with consequence) - this extra effort added some value, a meaning to the overall experience. This meant that we were mostly in control of our own vehicles, and by extension, our cars suffered at our errors. The flaws and shortcomings, the loopholes and rule breaking are all what defines human experience and shifting through the smooth traffic today, without much incident, somehow does not feel natural. This whole system of smooth, gliding, automated cars is almost too perfect.
 There is nothing like trying to fix your car after it breaks down or manually pushing it forward to get it started, sneaking out with your friends late at night, and driving as a teenager (dangerous prospects but a learning experience, nevertheless). Kids these days cannot sneak out the same way, the cars now use an alert system every time an underage kid gets a car started without authorization from an adult. I mostly enjoyed the prospect of driving due to the thrill and rejuvenation I sought from it; it is always a pleasant experience to drive your way through long, picturesque roads. It is not that manual driving is no longer possible, the option is available in all cars, but it hardly feels the same, and the experience is somewhat limiting.
 With the 2050 Reform, the automation of all cars within a five year period has been mandated by law,  and fuel inefficient cars have been outlawed completely. The latter refers to all cars that do not fall under the 'Smart Car' label and are now only to be seen in museums or can be bought at an exorbitant rate (but can only be used as a showpiece). I do use the manual mode on my car from time to time just to revisit the old days, but with every day, I become more and more aware of how trapped I am in my own car. The control no longer lies within my effort; I am now a passive driver, a mere addition to my own car. Knowing that my car is somewhat 'sentient', and can keep track of many things about me and even predict future patterns of travel and so much more unnerves me as much as it amazes.
  I know for a fact that the artificial intelligence encoded into my car cannot assume a dominating persona of its own that could wipe out humanity; it sounds absurd. AI exists merely to mimic human intelligence not necessarily substitute it completely, but is it possible that this can happen? Could I be endangered by my own car? For the most part, I think not and if blame is ever to be placed, it would be placed on ourselves. We brought this automation upon ourselves. We aimed to achieve new technological heights, and now that we have, we lament over simpler times (at least I do). I guess humans are never truly satisfied.
   Suffice to say, even though my car can simulate test scenarios to teach a person how to drive, and provide instructions at every step (an impressive feat really), nothing can come close to my father losing his patience, as he  sat by my side, reaching out to steady my trembling hands on the steering wheel, yelling, "Keep to the left of the road, to the left!"

Sreenithi Meenakshi V

“The Hedonic Paradox” (by Priyansha Gupta)

If AI takes care of all the jobs in the world, what will happen?
That day is not far when we will have created an entire artificially intelligent community altogether. We, humans, would have no work at all but if we had all the wealth – time, money and health, wouldn’t that be a dream come true. After all, we all have this as our ultimate goal in life. There will be enough time and money to fulfil your wishes, the sense of power and ultimate achievement will be a marvellous feeling. But for how long? 
The purpose of man is to reach the ultimate target and their entire lives become a process of striving for the same. But what would one do after achieving the ultimate. What will be the purpose of life then? Indulgence will follow, man is a pleasure seeking being; a hedonist. Pleasure is addictive and humans will fall into this degrading spiral. It will suck everything and create voids. Suddenly everything will become too certain. The beauty of imperfections and uncertainties will dissolve. It will be a highly ordered and as they say a ‘masculine’ society, governed by rules and regulations, strict law and order. The ‘feminine’ aspects like creativity and intuition will begin to evaporate. It will be too mechanised a world. The balance between ‘purusha’ and ‘prakriti’ will be lost.
Also isn’t it ironic that the trigger of this cycle was a desire for pleasure and happiness and how actually its pursuit made it far more distant.                                                                 

by Priyansha Gupta

                                               

Deus ex Machina (by Simone Prabhu)

In a world where the AI systems have taken over and all humans get a stipend or pension from the government, the humans wonder how to pass their free time. Leisure time has become the norm because nobody (human being at least) ever has to work. The humans are confused and uncertain, they don’t know what to do. Parents who could never be around their children much due to busy schedules are now faced with the daunting task of spending all their time with their progeny who apart from being related by blood, are utter stagers. Teenagers who have lived and grown without being subjected to the watchful eye of parents now wrack their brains in order to hold meaningful conversation with parents who are strangers to them. Married couples who get to be around each other now question why they ever got married in the first place.
The humans have lost their sense of purpose, they no longer know what to do with all this free time. They lack a sense of purpose and direction. Family get togethers and brunches with friends have become increasingly banal. Not only is it difficult to spend time with others, it is also impossible to spend time with oneself.
Nobody appreciates the arts, culture or travelling as before; it's the only way to spend time now and it is all the humans can do to keep themselves occupied. As such, the humans have begun to take it, and themselves and others for granted.
In the midst of all these humans desperately searching for a task or activity to engage them long enough, it falls squarely on the AI systems to manage the economic state. And this they do very well. The market is booming, there are no discrepancies anywhere. On the surface this is an idyllic world, except for an obnoxious somebody complaining that the AI chef is unable to make the soup he is drinking taste as good as the one his father makes.
Children study in schools are being taught by AI teachers, they are never pat on their back for doing a good job, but neither are they overlooked in favour of a brighter pupil. The same happens in institutions of higher education. Moreover, now everybody is inducted to educational institutions based solely on merit, the AI does not care who your father is…
Why do schools and universities still exist if the children they cater to are never going to join the workforce? Knowledge for knowledge’s sake of course. Never have their been quite so many applicants for seats in universities now. Every other person is also an artist now. Some of them write, draw, sketch, sing, dance, cook; there’s an art form for everybody although all of this remains contained to just the “artist” and those close in proximity to them.
In this idyllic world, there are still elements of chaos. Those renegade elements who refuse to accept that they have been put out of work. They work and publish on the sly and the AI police force function primarily to get these unsavoury citizens away from the rest of the population.
Humans now have all the free time they could ever want and the money to allow their dreams to be actualised. But dreams don’t seem quite as appealing as they once did and neither does Disneyland. Nothing seems to matter quite as much as it once did and there isn’t much the once dominant humans can do about it.
Much like the literary device of ‘Deus ex Machina’ which is sometimes used in stories and novels to bring about an easy conclusion to the conflict or plot that nobody truly enjoys, AI in this kind of world would function in much the same way. Humans do not need machines to simplify or make our lives easier; AI would instead make for a disappointing conclusion in the story of humanity.

by Simone Prabhu

18 in 2080 (by Janaki Vinod Nair)

Waking up to obnoxiously loud beeping from Linda, was just how my mornings would start. She usually had my morning breakfast and vitamin medications but today  She stood tall and  held a screen with" happy 18! " written in big bold letters. It's surprising how she does remember every bit about me in that tiny micro chip of hers, she even reminded my mom it was my birthday. It's strange for a human to say this, but she was the closest thing to a real friend I had in this world. I got out of my bed to go down stairs, and Linda started reading out my schedule for the day. I mean Linda! It's 8 am in the morning! No human senses are functioning that early! For a robot who is half my size with no legs, she moves faster that a bullet train. Birthdays are the only occasions we sit together as a family to have a meal. It's generally very awkward because we are so consumed in our own spaces. I remember when my grandpa used to tell me stories from his generation, about how grandma and him would talk for hours regarding work, anything that happened in the day etc. With plenty of time in our hands you would expect us to socialize, but we have talked about everything on the surface, it's more like there is nothing new happening.
Just like Linda, my parents and my elder brother too had their own personal robot. Every single person in the entire globe did. I met my family at the dining hall, just like any other meal. We ate and left, of course they just wished me this time. I walked outside to stretch myself. We had a beautiful garden, but I never really connected to them. As a little girl, my grandpa and I would seed  a plant, water them, nourish them, watch them grow, just like how our bond grew and in return the beauty of the flowers bloomed our happiness. How did time slip through my hands? There was nobody on the streets, robots walking dogs, picking the mail, driving cars with people inside glued into their phones, who knew 10 years later I would witness a world so different.
There was nothing that Linda did not know, from question about earth to stitching my forehead when I fell down the stairs, she knew everything except, I couldn't talk to her about my feelings as she never respond the way you would want her to react or about how sad or angry I was at my parents not remembering my birthday for instance or how I felt about the cute boy I met at e- crag. Talking about E- crags, they were like work stations for humans, just that you take your robots to charge them or repair every once a week. Since people don't really work anymore and AI robots did, that was the only "work" we had. There was so much time time in hands. And people work on spaces and finding empty voids. There was nothing to learn as any question we had, our AI robots had answers to and any task they got it done.
For now the only concern was our health, mentally and physically, we consume and had blocked our human outlet of emotions in this world of metal and screws. We consume without thinking about the one thing true here, our bodies. Looking back, my life feels like the time my grandad retired in his 80s, but today I just turned 18.

by Janaki Vinod Nair

Buddha and a Bot (by Likitha Sreekanth)

July 31st 2090

“Today, I have completed 93 years of my life, sitting on this wooden bench,reminiscent of the past world, just like me, I saw the world changing…… its not the worst time yet, although its due soon.
I saw how the joy of sitting and narrating stories to my grandchildren has been replaced by complex mechanical stories. The things and jobs which made me capable of being independent, I am afraid that my future generations will not experience.
These mechanical friends have made the world present around me, the same shell which buddha’s father created around him during his childhood. Those illusions which his father created , were miles apart from reality.
Now, we are culprits as his father, of our children. They will experience the trauma soon, similar to Buddha. But, that is not worse too, realization comes through suffering..”

Then the child asked the bot to rewind and elaborate…

Likitha Sreekanth

Endless Possibilities (by Saumil Karkhanis )

Imagine a world where you don't have to wake up at 5 in the morning to get catch a train that takes you 30 kilometers away to sit in front of a laptop screen all day having no idea about what you are doing.  Imagine a world where there are no Monday morning blues and no deadlines.  A world where a human doesn't have to choose between bread over family and a place where everyday can be a leisurely picnic. 

Critics may say that such a world would induce futility,  panic and a sense of purposelessness. The statement in itself reflects upon the dystopia that we currently live in,  do we really consider that our white collar jobs give us our identity.  Are we defined by the place we work,  the salary we generate and salutes we get when we enter a building we wished all our days never to enter. Or are we our ideas ,our beliefs and our value systems.

Yes,  I do agree that initially a world without jobs would cause anxiety.  Having our perspective of the world change over night is not easy to soak in.  But this anxiety could be explained with the analogy of a war veteran.  A soldier returning home after having been part of war does face anxiety,  however this anxiety is not because a world without war is worse than being a part of the war,  its merely because its too difficult to imagine a world that's actually a kinder place.

Once we get used to a world where we don't have to do anything and that all our actions become solely our choices,  we would achieve what philosophers call complete freedom. After several years of doing things that are expected of us we could finally introspect and think about things that are important for us.  With unlimited amount of money,  we wouldn't be bound financially and with everyone having the same amount of money,  social norms wouldn't be given as much importance.  Therefore,  there would be no excuse to give for not doing something that you always wanted to do,  you would truly be held accountable for your own actions. 

With that kind of freedom and accountability,  a person who likes to travel can become an explorer.  A person who likes music may go about the street playing music not for money but for his own joy.  And if there exists an individual who loves his job,  he may as well continue doing the same job for his personal satisfaction. 

With limitless funding for literally everything a person could do,  we would induce a renaissance like period.  He would have our own generation of Van Goghs,  Newtons and Vincis.  We along with the AI system would have scientific,  social,  artistic and philosophical developments at a pace never before seen by mankind.

With AI bots doing our jobs for us,  our thirst for knowledge would be easily quenched.  We could potentially conquer the universe and know of everything that is beyond it.

Even if you disagree with my views over such possibilities,  I am pretty sure if I were to provide you with a paid leave for the rest of your life,  you would take that offer with both your hands wide open.

by Saumil Karkhanis

Artwork Set II

AI Artwork by B.Sc Psychology Students Set I

Man Machine Discourse

Art,Philosphy by Janaki
Poetry: Jibrael Jos

Man::
My Utopia is clean
Machines that gleam
Lifts that zoom
Robots in the room

Stress is low
Music does flow
Art everywhere
Technology up there

Machine::
My Utopia is green
A landscape to be seen
Birds that fly
Clouds in the sky

No machines around
No chaos, no sound
A forest in my dream
Waterfall and a stream

Man::
O that's how it was
Avoiding tiger paws
Insects crawling
Animals following

No bed to rest
Mosquitoes and pest
Always alert
Bacteria and dirt

Machine::
All of it sounds wow
Compared to the now
Battery life of bees
Water Cycle in the seas

Evolution all around
Beetles in the ground
A bit of risk to take
World to create and make
<to be contd>

The Good Life When AI Takes Over (by Saiesha Venkatagiri)

If AI took all the jobs and people still had money I think it would be beneficial to the society. The people would have time to explore themselves and their interests, they wouldn't have to focus on getting a job to provide for themselves or their family. Many a times people study and get jobs in sectors that they aren't interested in, only because they can make more money in that sector. It is important to do what you love but it is also important to earn enough money to live a comfortable life. So some people feel that they won't earn enough money to make a living if they follow their passion. Instead, they get jobs just to earn and they end up being unhappy with their jobs and their lives.

 But if AI takes all the jobs then people can do whatever they want.  They can focus on their interests and passions and not have to worry about earning money or doing something they don't love. People would be able to learn more and focus on what they are good at and what they like. It would give us more time to do different things and try new hobbies and explore oneself.

People wouldn't have to worry about money so they won't be restricted, they can do whatever they want and travel and do more good for the world. There would be no competition or greed or mal practice since everyone wouldn't have to worry about money. People wouldn't be poor and living on streets. And people would have more time to do good deeds like helping others without expecting something in return.

People could spend more time with their loved ones as they wouldn't be busy with their work. And they'd have more time for everyone and everything. If people were working then they might embezzle or scam others in order to get more money. But if AI took the other jobs there would be lesser mistakes or errors like that as the AI wouldn't be money minded and would work honestly.

If the AI is programmed appropriately, we can reduce pollution and we'll be able to use our resources wisely in such a way that there is enough for the future generations. As people won't be working, there won't be anyone willing to sacrifice the earth just to make money. So the AI would keep in mind the whole world and work in a way that no harm is done to the earth.

People would do more good and help others. They won't be money minded or greedy and care for their friends and family more. Over all, I think that people would be more happier in life and that the world would be a better place.

 (by Saiesha Venkatagiri)

Mock Economy for a Utopian World(by Rishabh Bapat)

There are animals that live in the deep ocean, so low that very little light permeates. These animals have been living here for so long that they have lost the ability to detect most colours. Even if they were moved into a new environment filled with the brightest hues, they have become so accustomed to their original state that they would not be able to enjoy it. In some ways, humans are like them. Our entire history as a species has been a struggle for existence. Every human is born into it and expects nothing else. So,ns take advantage of this situation and be optimally happy, or have we become so used to having to work that unhappiness is a necessary part of happiness?

I believe that humans need competition and strife to achieve fulfilment. Even in a world as described above, I think this essential component of human existence would need to be preserved. A mock economy of sorts where a credit system is used to reward good performance in curated competitive games or tasks is my idea of how this element could be preserved while allowing for maximum benefit to be reaped from the situation. These credits would act as a simple but effective motivational force that drives people to leave their beds in the morning rather than become complacent and ultimately unhappy.

Happiness is relative, what causes a poor person to be happy might seem trivial to a wealthy person, but their happiness is ultimately the same. Thus, there are no standards of living that can make people happy forever, eventually they will tire of them. The credit system could be tied to cosmetic items or symbols of status to stimulate competition further and create the necessary sources of envy and unhappiness in the environment. Essentially my idea for this world is to simulate the current economy to a close degree but make the cost of failure less life threatening and make the rewards of success generate less inequality.

(by Rishabh Bapat)

The world is ending. (By Shwetha Venkatesh )

Dear Diary,
Today, the International BOTlympics was streamed on everyone's cubicle projector. All I did was sleep through it. Because, what's the point? I don't get to cheer for my favourite player, because there are no players. It's just an AI simulation of a game. I miss those times when my friends and I bought tickets to the Superbowl or IPL. I miss making popcorn in my pressure cooker during TV advertisements as fast as I can to make sure I don't miss the beginning. This generation just sits tight in their comfortable multifunctional chairs and streams anything they want with the touch of a button. There is no excitement, no rush, nothing.

I virtually attended this science conference with 843 other participants last week. The current project is based on the concept of immortality. The organisation is working on a pill that adds 15 years to your life. The public is going crazy about it, but honestly I'm not quite impressed. What's the point of existing for longer time if you don't LIVE your life. Life has no purpose anymore. People just exist . We're becoming eternal beings but our one and only role is that of onlookers. We're the audience of our own lives. Everything is taken care of.

I remember when it all started. It was 2028 and the Global AI Committee promoted Bots to replace our jobs. It started with domestic help and then more and more jobs got taken over, eventually ending at medical surgeon. The idea was to make life simpler, and lots people loved the new invention.

At this point, the advancements have paced up so drastically that now we have absolutely nothing to look forward to. A monotonous life back in my days meant a life of hard work. Now it means a life of no work.

In 2052 we tackled the Global Warming issue once and for all with our advanced technology. We essentially, " saved the world." But if you think about it, our new world is ending nonetheless.
A few years from now, when I'll be gone, humans would've become immortal, but LIFE would've ended. 

--Shwetha Venkatesh 

It's 2049. Things have changed. (by G. Marshini)

It's 2049. Things have changed. We were somehow able to reverse climate change, much to my surprise and the economy is doing well.
 I get paid well for sometimes working and other times for being present in my office with beige coloured futons. I do not think I am a better fit for any other occupation- I listen to woes of human misery and the lack thereof. Well, I guess that explains the perks of holding a job that AI can't really take over. People apparently like the humaneness that comes with a psychologist who is an actual homo sapien. And oh, mental health isn't really a myth anymore.

It's 2049. Things have changed. Alexa's millionth update is out and she is tailored according to the owner's needs. My neighbor's son understands the meaning of consent and sex education is finally a thing in schools. Indian parents don't push their kids to do engineering and medicine. Turns out it was all about the pay at the end of the day for them. Passion reigns. Humanity encompasses the geoid. People care about their jobs just enough to do it for the virtue of it- neither for the money nor for the social position. I catch up on all the Kantian philosophy and Kafkaesque literature I can get my hands on, for I was banished from reading them during my youth because earning and establishing a career and not to forget, to get an office at the 54th floor with a fancy view was obviously the expected priority, the ultimate dream. Like I said it's surprising how humans can metamorphosize when they are given their own time and space to pursue their interests, when ranks do not matter and when competition and comparison don't stand a chance. Nothing is immaculate but tolerance towards humaneness is ever increasing.

Its 2049. Things have changed. Things are good. 

G. Marshini

Flux to Rest (by Fidha )

The world in constant flux has now come to a rest. Everything is peaceful and no more chaos. No more crowded subways, no more exam worries, no more poverty, no more corruption. Everybody doing what they like. Run, dance, sing, sleep, eat, jump, shake; at your own Will and Choice. Things were normalised once upon a time, when the AI Bots did not take over all the jobs, like working 12 hours a day for a year to earn only a week’s vacation! Now that nothing is forced upon human beings, even enjoying the beauty of a flower has become a hobby.
The world has changed and nobody has to work anymore. There will be sufficient bank balance for everyone based on their lifestyle and AI will take over the jobs that were once meant for humans only. The normalised system of working days or night shifts, weekends, vacation only once a year and waiting for the beginning of the month to receive the salary has now come to an end. Anybody could do anything they like. One of the biggest effects of such a world would be elimination of inevitable problems in today’s world such as poverty, malnutrition, wars and mental health issues.
Peace and sanity are now seen a common thing. Enjoyment and happiness is in the air. Oxygen has become pure. Global warming has reduced. New species are finding it peaceful to live in their environment. Concepts of ‘extinction’ and ‘endangered species’ has come to an end. Exploration of your own self to the point where one can reach the state of self-actualisation has now become the common goal of the entire world. The shift from being selfish in a materialistic way to being selfish in a route to self-actualisation is what I believe will be the biggest impact of an AI dominated world.

-        Fidha 

Means will be the End (by Janhavi Uppal)

AI takes control over the world which was being controlled by humans, by us. No jobs, no work, only money, people, leisure and all the comfort of the world. What can I, as a human do here, in this mechanised world ? What will I do in this mechanised world ? Will I have any "will" to do anything ? Or maybe, I will do what I love, what I have always wanted to do genuinely. In this world full of artificial intelligence, will knowledge make more sense and will I want to study for the sake of studying instead of gaining marks. Will I dance because I like dancing or I want to dance, instead of dancing as a form to let out my so called "negative/positive emotions." The art, in this world, will have a greater beauty and purpose for me because my means are my ends in themselves. I will not have to do anything to find an end to it but because I love the means which are my ends in themselves.

I will explore myself, as a person, as a being. If we look at the beautiful nature which does not have any job per say to do, it still gives the man what he needs, without complaining, without any credit, with all the negative and positive comments that it receives. It gives us unconditionally. Maybe in a world where I have all the time for myself, I will look for a greater inner satisfaction and love which will make me subtle, kind and giving. It will teach me to give unconditionally. Maybe in a world like this, humans will have a greater purpose, a greater sense of humanity. This mechanised world has an immense power to teach humanity to humans for there will be no place left for greed and jealousy.

I will have friends and relationships which are deeper because then nobody will have anything to do except to appreciate and enjoy the life they have been given. Yes, some people might get sad, depressed, anxious and worries. Infact, all the people who are not connected to themselves, to the inner being, will experience certain negative emotions, however, they will have people who are connected, to talk to them, to help them and to make them realise the beauty of the world.

Maybe in a world like this, past and future will stop bothering us and all we will have is now. We will live in the present, in the now. We are living in the now.

Janhavi Uppal

The edge of yesterday (by NF)

The World has reached the pinnacle of its struggle. The grand mountains have been scaled. Sisyphus no longer needs to roll his stone. Atlas has shrugged off his load. All that is left is for us to enjoy our Dionysian like endeavours.

Man no longer has the basic requirements to be born from and born into a struggle. Yet, there appears to be something sorely amiss. Man no longer needs to work but may work if he wishes to. Yet this trend might last not for very long. As time progresses and the electronically circuitry gets more and more augmented, the elimination will no longer be of a job but of humanity itself.

Man has a search for meaning. It is only through humanity's greatest errors that we created our greatest monuments. These monuments are the dimensions of Mans far reaching projection; virtues, moralities et al.

AI will no doubt make the perfect run of jobs. The Japanese have a concept called "Wabi-Sabi" or the appreciation of imperfection. In a world too perfect would we no longer appreciate flaws, because there might be none to remember?

Positive psychology also points out that when the economy stabilises, the individuals overall happiness either stagnates or deteriorates. Thus, in a world run by AI wherein there is a lack of necessity for us, would we be truly happy? Conversely, it might be the ripest time for a psychologist. Freud expresses that the animalistic Id is driven largely by sexual and aggressive tendencies. Devoid of the larger need to have a mediating Ego, would we run amok? Or would our SuperEgo full of morality kick in?

Would we create our Gods or bash their heads into the dirt. Truly a brave new world!

~NF

OUtop-AI by Sriram Nair

The day that jobs became obsolete, and AI ran everything. Fundamentally there are three aspects to look at: the economic aspect, the Psychological aspect and the aspect of the day-to-day life.

Firstly it is important to acknowledge that everyone would be well off financially, so birth rates as well as the general population of the planet may increase, because there will not be much of a burden to take care of them. Having children becomes much easier as AI Caretakers would exist and these children would mostly be brought up well. Their parents would also be free to be with them and take care of their emotional needs because things like work isn't distracting them so they would spend more time with children. AI can’t replace that because we as humans are biologically wired to want to take care of our offspring. I feel that it is also likely that the world would be more peaceful as all children would have a relatively peaceful upbringing because all their needs would be met. There will be less family issues because finance is not a problem and things like AI matchmaking apps and AI relationship therapy will help in creating more stable relationships.

Economically the world might be relatively good as AI would help control things like trade in a fair manner and it is possible that countries itself might cease to exist and the world work as a whole to promote efficient resource production under an AI. There won't be war as there won’t be a struggle for resources and AI teachers would be able to imbibe positive morals and a sense of togetherness, and there would be an efficient police force that could work world wide to cease irrational wrong behaviour. This equality would also exist in a social hierarchy as AI would ensure an equal distribution of resources as well as satisfaction of our wants.

Psychologically we would be happy due to our needs being met. We would have all the time in the world to do anything we want, like even travel the world. We are also allowed to do what we want in this world so people might be doing jobs just for the satisfaction of it. We would have more time to do things like work out and sleep properly to maintain health, both mentally and physically. This would also be done optimally  by us through the advice of AL programmed to help us do so. We would still be educated but just for our satisfaction. Culture would still exist as we humans tend to like to hold down things from our past and helps in giving a sense of purpose. Travelling, exploration as well as other risk taking activities would be more common as we search for more forms of entertainment and enjoyment.

Sriram Nair

My Cheese remains.... by Yuthika

What of a world if no jobs existed, if all we had to do was as per our heart's desire, if our bank accounts were filled with money we require? If an AI did come in to make our lives easier, what of the joy we get from hardwork and achievement? The entire week would be spent like a weekend and I feel, our life will lose a sense of purpose. The world will lose its concept of change. A world with AI would become too comfortable and a refusal to change would set in and as quoted by Spencer Johnson in 'Who moved my cheese?' - "if you do not change, you can become extinct!" would become the reality. The present reality would be to create ideas but if the major job sectors of the world is taken care by AI, then the reason to learn subjects such as mathematics and science gets lost. This would ultimately result in us not wanting to improve creativity in fields of research which ultimately leaves those fields stagnant. Furthermore, a world with no jobs would feel like a prolonged vacation which would eventually lead to boredom. In conclusion, I would like to say that a world where the jobs are taken up AI would leave humans in a void.

Yuthika Mohan Ram

Essaying what needs to be said. (By AJK)

Wow. I have not done this in so long. Why am I still be doing this? Nobody is paying me for it.

Then, why?

I gave it a lot of thought. I mulled over it. What do we do, now that we don't have to anymore? Everything is already being done by the Artificial Intelligent beings. It has been so for the past eight years, every job, every conceivable vocation, sans human participation in their now-obsolete job positions. We are free. Free of the mundane, everyday reality of a nine-to-five desk job, free of the constraints of targets and deadlines, free to live.

What is this that I am feeling now, then?

I used to write. I wrote a lot more than I can remember now. Writing was my passion. And the best part was that my job necessitated that I retain this skill of mine. I made a living, an enjoyable living, writing and writing and writing. It was a great time.

When they were incorporated into the job market, though, they did not need me to write for them anymore, the Intelligent Agent could do it better, and much faster. They did not need anyone to supervise, because the Intelligent Agent did it better, much faster. Essentially, humans were not required to work anymore, because they were too inefficient, too slow.

I stopped writing. I had no incentive.

But, this morning, this glorious morning, it came back. I felt it surge through me, the drive to put thought to form, strokes to meaning, feeling to being. And now, I write.

I am not the only one. There are days I see Mrs. Samarah next door still doing her accounts herself. Mr. Florentine prefers to continue to ten to his garden himself. The antique General Major down the corridor still teaches his children about the army, even though it has been a largely peaceful time, the time that we live in. Outside us, but no so much inside.

We still seek the stimulation of having had something to do.

And so, we persist. They can not take that away from us.

We are humans.

---

The Artificial Intelligent Agent sends a 'thought' for confirmation to the other one outside it?/him?/her?/them?, around it?/him?/her?/them?, within it?/him?/her?/them?.

<<I know this should suffice. My task of writing an essay about the human sorrow that came with our advent is complete!!!>>

<<No no! You have put down a story, this is not an article! Redo it, pl—>>

<<Completed! I apologise for the microsecond delay! And my creativity circuit is malfunctioning, so you will have to do the titl—>>

<<Later?>>

AJK

Things I never felt (by Charvi)

Charvi Pareek

July, 2035.

Paris never looked more beautiful. The sunset behind the Eiffel tower never looked prettier in my head. The breeze felt cooler. The air was filled with the fragrance of comfort and relief. Everyone looked relaxed. At least from the outside.

A decision to sit on the lakeside to witness the break of nightfall was something I would generally like to take. So I did. It felt nice to watch the sun set into the horizon waiting for the night to take over. It was as if the sun was getting back home after work. Just like I did. But I decided to ignore the fact. Afterall, it had been so long since I had thought about nature and everything else that was not machine. ”Why spoil the day thinking about such things?”

I sat at the edge of my bench, wondering how my dad was always busy. Every memory of his that I have has to do something with him being busy. It feels good to realize that he is relaxed now. He can sit back and just take a break. But why doesn’t it feel good when I think of myself? When I was in college, even I liked to have breaks, no!

Now I don’t. Every break that I have from my leisure time now, is one where I think about working, about how the sense of achievement and fulfilment took over me every time I completed a task on my own; where I had something to hold on to and call my own creation.

“This is an excerpt from the dream that you put on record last night. Hope I was able to provide you with the best of it.”

Ah, good job dreaming on your own, Charvi Pareek.

A New Direction (By Amulya)

Amulya D Kuriakose

This form of utopia, I perceive to be threatening on various grounds. Having no direction of sorts is unimaginable for a human to live with. Though we are capable of resistance and rebellion against an imposed rule or lifestyle, we are always looking for direction. And in this case, the absence of a necessity to work and earn your own living, is in other words striking off a very basic direction to living life. I believe that humans would definitely come up with an alternate form of status achievement. It is not intended by this that humans today define their achievement based on jobs alone. There are various other means and motivations in life for any individual who explores beyond the imposed. However, jobs being a very defining factor of one’s status and capabilities in the society, erasing this factor would bring about its replacement by another factor, which could range from educational qualification to maybe the number of places visited. It is also possible that people start defining new factions and levels of achievement in each of these factions altogether. Talents, strengths and knowledge quotients of each individual would find new ways of being expressed.

I am Jobless; But A Job giver (by Munna R S)

By, Munna R S 

Welcome to 2050 !

Chetan Bhagat's India 2020 had passed by 30 years ago. I woke up hearing my Robo chanting loud prayers from The Holy Book, aroma of incense sticks spread all along the nooks and corners of the rooms. I am waiting for the Robo to bring my  bed coffee so that I can get up from my bed and take me to the washroom to brush my teeth. I took the remote and pressed "Woke Up" button and soon came my Robo with my bed-coffee and a pair of tissue papers. I looked at her, stared at the most subtle and beautiful way in which she walked up to me. Soon, I traced back to the day I met her on my 25th Birthday in the form of a gift. From then, I started seeing her first instead of the God's picture hung on the wall. She brings me bed coffee as if my mom used to do for my dad when he wakes up. She sits besides me staring at my sleepy eyes as if Radhika- my favorite fictional character looked at her love- Ashok. She gets up my bag and accompany me to my clinic. She takes up all my clients' case histories, administers adequate test, conducts therapies and almost all my jobs in clinic. Moreover, she found the perfect Mrs. for me when I was at my 27. She even procured me all the good tag and accreditations which I carry along with my name as a successful clinical psychologist. She takes care of my wife and kids better than anyone else. Keeps my home shining all along the years. I can even say that she takes care of my life; all I need to know is to operate the remote which brings me and her together and recharge her. From my 25th Birthday to today when I am on my 50, she had been there in all my ups and downs. I start my day with her and ends with her. I guess, even my life will end, me besides her.

Yes, I'm Jobless ; But A Job Giver

Artificial Freedom (by G Sai Siddharth)

G Sai Siddharth

According to Socrates, Politics takes place in imperfection and Conflict. Hannah Arendt also argued along these lines that Democracy as an institution prevents perfectionism and thrives on conflict. A World where all the jobs have become obsolete, humans enjoy infinite leisure and money in an economy that is independent of our contribution. Artificial Intelligence facilitates all our requirements and there is peace everywhere. This is the emergence of Totalitarianism. A world without boundaries that is perfect in every way- there is no conflict, there is no war and there is no dissent.

            Humans classify this kind of a world into a Utopia- Greek for ‘Good Place’. A World where everything is ideal and is the epitome of perfection. If this perfectionism is reflected upon further, there are more qualities that can be identified. This world doesn’t tolerate dissent. A world this perfect is very fragile; as fragile as a wristwatch where if one dial comes off, the entire structure falls apart. This Perfection promotes solidarity. Absolute Solidarity such that individualism and uniqueness are factors which are wiped out so all of the people think the same. In this example, if even one person begins to argue that the imperfection of human mind needs to be employed in the world, the entire system will come crashing down. To ensure this like-mindedness, any or all dissenting opinions will be curbed. This world is so ideal that the system is perfect and there is no actual freedom. Sure, humans can decide to work if they want to, they can travel, produce art, contribute to science, etc. but this freedom of choice only exists because the element of jobs have been removed. The conscious decision of a human deciding to these activities would have been considered free if he/she had to go to a job as a necessity. This world can only guarantee an artificial freedom and not actual choices.

            Through this reflection, the qualities that have been observed in this futuristic, ideal society relates more to a Dystopia- Greek for ‘Bad Place’. This is the inherent problem with Utopias- the system is so perfect that there is nothing humane left in it and it becomes a Totalitarian regime- a world without absolute freedom. All Utopias eventually end up feeling like a Dystopia. But again, the interpretation aspect is up to us. We can consciously decide to not delve into absurd Greek Philosophies and classify this as a free choice as well as define freedom as we want to. We can contribute to that perfect society in any way and make it more perfect for us as well as the others. We can still enjoy our lives instead of believing that our choices cannot have a consequence. Our choices have the most impactful effect on us and making conscious decisions to make our imperfections enjoy themselves still do matter.

A World In Perpetual Light (by Bhavna)

Bhavna Balaji

I believe that humans are inherently curious and hungry for knowledge. It is difficult to assign a universal moral value to this drive, but it is impossible to deny that humans have been chasing discovery and inspiration since times immemorial. This may be true for other species as well, but I can only speak for my own kind.

A world where AI can do every job seems like a perfect utopia at first glance. Humans would be freed of any responsibility that society chose for them. They would be able to study and learn whatever they wanted to, in their own time. They would have all the time and resources in the world to travel, create and participate in art, philosophize, and whatever else that comes to mind. However, upon closer inspection, this system has cracks. Fun is fun because there exists a state in which it is absent.

In a world where human jobs and endeavors are obsolete, I believe that humanity as a whole will be unhappy. Individual humans may find purpose within the system, but as a community we will be stagnant. This system assumes that happiness is a fixed state where humans have all the time and money they could ever want to do whatever they pleased. But happiness, satisfaction and purpose are all part of a journey. We try to build a lightbulb a thousand times to no avail, but that moment when it finally works and bathes our rooms in light- that is purpose. That is happiness. 

In this world, there will be no room for us to take a step, whether it is forwards or backwards. There will be no opportunity for us to make mistakes and grow. I greatly admire human endeavor. We climb mountains and do research and work as accountants and travel to space because we believe it is part of our journey as a community and a species. The purpose of humanity is a spark of light in darkness, the flame of discovery, the rush of innovation and building our future. Perpetually living in the light will blind us.

Losing the charm of the Arts (by Ananya)

Ananya Manoj Nair

I would like you to imagine a world where no one has to work anymore. Artificial Intelligence is advanced enough that all jobs are accounted for and no one needs to work anymore. There is enough money in circulation and everyone can lead a comfortable life. What do you think would change? What would the world look like then? For me, my mind immediately turns to the fate of the arts. Art, dance, music and everything soulful and enjoyable. Would we still enjoy it? Would we even bother engaging with it or creating anything new or innovative?

As a dancer and artist, these art forms to me are a very significant outlet and form of escapism. They allow me to take my mind off of what’s worrying me that day, spend time with myself or other people that I care about, bond and create relationships that are unique and explore different skills and capabilities. It brings me closer to a side of myself that is often less explored in the midst of the rush of the academic world. A serotonin boost and dopamine source that almost seems irreplaceable, a world to immerse myself in and take pleasure in the little joys.

But I am inclined to wonder whether these wouldn’t be true anymore in this alternate world. The possibility that art may lose its charm, the idea that I may lose interest in it because it is no longer a hobby or an escape but purely something I’m doing, quite possibly because I have nothing else to do.

As much as I would love to believe that I will never stop painting and drawing and dancing, there’s a little voice inside my head that’s suggesting that I might lose my love for it. There are times right now where I crave time to dedicate to the arts and am unable to find any, but if I had more than plenty of time to kill, is this what I would be doing? “Yes of course”, I repeat to myself, but that sliver of doubt never really goes away.

Are we living because we cannot die? (by Ayesha)

Ayesha Rifath

No one has to work. It's got a nice ring to it. But what would this species do when they don't have anything to do? Are they living? Or just surviving because they cannot die? There are people who make bucket lists, but cannot check all of it because we don't have time or money (even though it's just an excuse). Now that we have all the time and money, would we really spend time on checking our bucket list. I think we would! No one is going to sit idle, that's for sure.

Thing one on my "Would-do" list- Make a list. A list of things we want to do.

Thing two. Pack my bags. Because i want to solo travel every place I can. More precisely, I want to visit every single library/ book house in the world. Even if I cannot read every book. I just want to spend time around books, any books. Books of knowledge or books of entertainment. Travel to a city, enter library, pick the first book that grabs my attention and read it. Read it till I get bored or I finish it and move on to the next. Next Book or Library, which ever excites me at the moment.

While I am at the whole travelling, I also wish to taste every single street food of the world. Every country has some unique kind of street food and tasting each of it would be a dream come true!

This is something that I can do regardless of the situation in the world! This is living for me, because it's what I want to do. Doing something we are compelled to do, kills us!

So, eventually when an AI takes over the work force, my purpose will not change and it will not affect what I want to do. Even though this is an idealistic situation, I hope humans do not "not do anything". I hope we all find a passion and actually work on it even if we don't have to "work" as such.

 "Live your life" they say, but are we actually living? Or are we just not dying?

A confidential mind (by Nandini Agarwal)

Nandani Agarwal 

            Psychology, in its very sense, is humane. It involves humans dealing with problematic humans and not just the mere introduction, but the fact that a robot would now solve human problems seems more troubling than ever. They do assist us with our miniscule physicalities but will they be able to comprehend trauma? The spoken word, the breaking of voice, angry splashes of black paint across a canvas so dark it feels captivating, the sound of a cooker hitting a broken father's head, the teary signature on divorce papers, a flower which doesn't know how to bloom anymore, the roads which are the same but feel empty all of a sudden, all this and more, will the new-intelligence structured to help, understand all this? Uniqueness stems from our trauma and unawareness. We interact to educate ourself on topics broader than the world. But something that knows the answers to all the mysteries be able to justify our unique ignorance. Will it be able to understand that on some days running away heedlessly is more right than comprehending and moving on? Will it understand that a time of an hour a week isn't enough to bandage the multiple broken hearts and that therapy knows no bounds of time? Will it understand that on somedays day 471 feels like day 1 that we've been trying to escape forever?

           And if it does understand, will its mechanical hand on my comforting thigh feel just as warm as my mother's lap on a rainy evening?

           We think, and think, and think some more, with thoughts so deep, that they twirl into a tornado and the winds blow so strong that at the end they will carry us home, but will a "know-it-all" with a single supposition reason our minds in a way we feel enough?

           One thing's for sure, it's comprehension might be weak but it's work ethic will sure be exceptionally confidential.