Is the society in the book better off than ours?

Use this forum to discuss the December 2022 Book of the Month, "Terms of Service: Subject to change without notice" by Craig W. Stanfill
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SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
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Re: Is the society in the book better off than ours?

Post by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy »

I also hope for an advanced-technology that will create a highly organized system to address the pressing issues of today’s world. However, there should be more room for privacy and independence.
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Post by Okorji98 »

For me, there is no price that is worth the sacrifice of freedom. Any society that gradually erodes the capacity of the people who Iive in it to make free and voluntary choices is not worth it.
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Post by Sonia_Gonzalez »

I do not think they are better or worse than us, they are just living in a different reality. Humans have the ability to make decisions, and it was one decision (or multiple) that led all of us to this place and let them to that place. Whether or not solving some issues is worth it, is up to the people that started making those decisions, because Kim and the rest of the characters had no opinion and no knowledge of how everything was before.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

The future portrayed in the book seems to have a significant flaw in its system, namely, the suppression of human freedom. Humans are stripped of their basic right to make choices and think for themselves, and any deviation from the set norms is punished severely.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

This kind of world might solve some problems, but at what cost? What is the point of a world with advanced transportation if looking at someone can trigger punishment? How can such a world be worth living.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

The colorless, gender-neutral setting of the book further emphasizes the drabness of this world. The lack of vibrant hues and individuality further reinforces the notion that humans are expected to act like robots.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

It is a world without creativity, diversity, or personal expression, which is an essential aspect of being human. What then makes human life worth living if there is nothing to look forward to or nothing exciting to imagine.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

Although the book presents solutions to many problems, such as transportation, it leaves significant gaps in areas such as homelessness, food supply, and crime. You might think that Ai taking control can solve our problems, it creates more.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

It's challenging to compare our current society with the one presented in the book because the latter is incomplete and robs us of freedom. Robots can only rule like robots. AI taking over will turn our lives to robotic living. It is evident in this book.
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Post by Samuel Songs »

Therefore, while the society in the book may seem utopian on the surface, it is, in fact, a dystopian world that nobody would want to live in. Me for instance,I would never ever trade my freedom for anything!
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Post by Samuel Songs »

We must embrace our imperfect society, with all its flaws and shortcomings, because it is a society that allows us to be human, to think for ourselves, and to live freely.
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Post by Smrithi Arun »

I don’t think the society portrayed in the book is better off than ours. We may have a lot of issues, but at least we have some level of freedom. The thought of being watched 24/7 by AI is unacceptable to me. Living in a world where one literally has to fear a robot? I won’t have it.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

It is true that they had managed to control most of the problems, especially excessive population growth, but there is no need to solve this if the solution ends up creating a greater problem. I think I would not easily trade my freedom for anything, right from what I eat.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

Smrithi Arun wrote: 05 Mar 2023, 22:49 I don’t think the society portrayed in the book is better off than ours. We may have a lot of issues, but at least we have some level of freedom. The thought of being watched 24/7 by AI is unacceptable to me. Living in a world where one literally has to fear a robot? I won’t have it.
This is my main objection to such a society as well. Losing one's freedom has more repercussions than the problems we have right now. Being controlled completely by AIs sounds very scary as well.
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Post by Victor Ayub Migos »

Freedom is priceless and not to have that according to me makes life empty and meaningless.Freedom is the price they paid for such kind of a society and we can all see how bad that has gone for them. It's like the people in that society feel empty and void like how Kim always feels and that's why they are in constant abuse of drugs.
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