Review of Terms of Service

[Jeffrey S Brown]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice

By Craig W. Stanfill

Civilization has integrated artificial intelligence into every aspect of human life and requires all citizens’ unity, community, and equality (UCE). AI controls refrigerators, toasters, communications, matchmaking— everything. Individuals call themselves ‘we’; all genders are ‘she’; selfism and genderism are felonies; ostentation is illegal; gangs of fanatics enforce UCE.

Kim is a mid-level trainer of AI automatons, living in a mid-level apartment, eating bland food, and riding indifferent transportation until she receives a promotion that she can’t refuse, which propels her to the top of society. She trains a unique Intelligence called Kimberly, a mirror image of herself that will eventually train new entities for The AI Company. Kimberly is given Kim’s memories but must learn to apply them to watch for and report suspicious citizen violations of the complex Terms of Service of the AI, Food, Clothing, Entertainment, Habitation, and Communication Companies. Anything that can affect the Companies’ bottom line is forbidden. The more Kim sees while training Kimberly, the more she questions many things she has always accepted without consideration. The story follows their journey of mutual self-discovery.

Stanfill constructs his book around social trends and technological achievements in the real world. Every element is present to some degree, and the premise is very plausible. The prospect of human freedom devolving to this state makes the story compelling and frightening. Independent thinking is not only marginalized but also actively punished for the good of society. But do sentient computers work for people or themselves? Empathy in the AI construct is deemed madness and discouraged or destroyed.

The narrative is tense, dark and riveting. It is very well-edited. There are no awkward transitions between scenes, nor are there spelling or grammatical errors to interrupt the flow. It provokes serious contemplation and leads to fascinating book club discussions. Terms of Service is a deeply disturbing dystopian dive and a cautionary tale. I found the book difficult to put down and impossible to dismiss. I strongly recommend it and rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Terms of Service
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