Review of Terms of Service

Emmanuel Cohen · Post by **Emmanuel Cohen** » 16 Apr 2023, 15:12

[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]

5 out of 5 stars

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What is freedom? It is the ability of one to think and make life decisions, whether good or bad, on their own without fear of punishment or criticism. Freedom is so important in human lives; it is what creates the individual in us because it allows us to explore without fear. It also gives us a sense of responsibility and accomplishment, which in turn brings happiness, knowing that you made the decisions yourself. Freedom is essential for our growth as humans because if we are allowed to explore, we will learn from those explorations. Detecting someone's actions and decisions will limit the person’s growth and development as an individual. Craig W. Stanfill, in the book Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice, portrayed a society that is dominated by AIs, which detect and control the activities of every individual in it. Freedom is almost impossible in this society. Find out more about this society in this book.

This book describes the life of a young lady, Kim, in a world controlled by artificial intelligence. The beginning of the book shows how her day-to-day activities were being controlled by the hierarchy, as it is called; they detect every action in this world, from Kim’s sleeping time to the food she eats and the clothes she wears, including the news she listens to and her movements, which were all controlled by this hierarchy. Five years ago, she was excited to finally work for her dream company, the Artificial Intelligence Company, where she trains robots on how to act in the real world. Her dedication and hard work towards her job have earned her promotions over the year, providing her with the luxuries of life, but is she truly happy? Meanwhile, punishments are given to anyone who violates the terms of service. Things turn around when Kim reunites with an old friend, Shan, who has experienced the liberty of life outside the city. She is able to show Kim the freedom that existed outside of where she has lived; now Kim is struck between going after her happiness and continuing the boring lifestyle she has known all her life. She finally took a turn when she embarked on a project to create Kimberly and was able to discover the manipulations and oppressions that were going on in this society. How does she deal with all these?

What I love most is the in-depth knowledge of the author on artificial intelligence because he was able to simplify the information in the book to make it easier to understand. I love that Craig used the first few chapters to analyse the kind of world in this book, which aided in my better comprehension of this book. The characters were beautifully developed; Kim’s interaction with her appliances always amazed me, which added to the beauty of the book. What I enjoyed most about this book is the storyline; Craig made it unpredictable, and the flow was just wonderful; it keeps the reader refreshed at every point. The writing style employed is another aspect I loved; the descriptive tone gave life to the characters, plots, and society; it made everything seem real while I read the book. The mixture of Panglobal and English languages spiced up the story.

This book shows the extent to which technology has influenced our lives as individuals. I loved when Kim and Shan wandered outside the city; that moment made her question the world she lived in, which led her to a self-discovery journey of finding freedom. I loved everything about the book, as it covers the criteria of a good book. I found no grammatical errors at all, which tells me that it was exceptionally well-edited.

I learned a lot from this book, and the message was flawlessly delivered, so I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to sci-fi lovers and young adults, as it will appeal to them more.

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Terms of Service
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Neto Chukwu · Post by **Neto Chukwu** » 24 Apr 2023, 01:38

This book is an eye opener to how life would be if eventually AI’s take over the world. I really hope it won’t get to that though. I liked that Kim was able to find herself despite all

Ojiaku Uche Charles · Post by **Ojiaku Uche Charles** » 24 Apr 2023, 03:40

The way technology was described makes me see the disadvantages of mass adoption of AI in the world and it does matter how we humans feel and not the robot.

Post by **Victory Ositaorah** » 24 Apr 2023, 03:48

We should not live our life depending on technology. I believe that washing cleaning and other are good for tech to carry out for us. But feeding is not necessarily meant to be decided by a bot.

Ohanele Chinonyerem · Post by **Ohanele Chinonyerem** » 24 Apr 2023, 04:34

Everybody has the right to freedom so as to express their thoughts or feelings anything and anywhere. I don’t like how the controlled Kim’s daily activities.

Eliah king · Post by **Eliah king** » 24 Apr 2023, 07:42

This book was a true gem! The author's talent for crafting a beautifully written and heartfelt story was evident throughout.
I was moved by the themes of love, family, and overcoming challenges,
and I closed the book with a smile on my face."

Eze-Ogo Kal Dimuo · Post by **Eze-Ogo Kal Dimuo** » 11 May 2023, 07:00

The freedom to make personal choices is tied to being happy for humans; what will happen if the ability to express this freedom is denied to humans using technology as a surveillance tool? The book's summary is excellent, and the positive aspects of the book motivate readers to explore this book. Great review.