A Productive Look: New York City, Aeris 7
March 5, 2026 by admin_name
A Productive Look: New York City, Aeris 7
John Ink2Quill
(written completely and only by me, Ink2Quill, John Ink2Quill. No AI used)
www.ink2quill.com
Let me start by thanking Chat-GPT for their contributions last week. I have never accepted any contributions before from AI. So I may be changing my ways. Little by little, at least. Last week Chat-GPT wrote me an interesting story on a topic that is very dear to my heart. It’s a topic much talked about in the Scifi genre and it never ever gets old. Not in the kind of world we live. Not in the kind of societies we build. In this case as in so many others, where creativity is concerned, when someone makes something or is in the process of creation, productive criticism is the highest form of flattery. It really is and this case is no exception. You also have to give people time to catch up with what’s new. A little bit of skepticism is healthy.
Let me try to describe what New York City will look like in the not-too-distant future with all of these emerging technologies. Here goes:
Citizen A, number: 123-45-6789, named John A. Smith wakes up in an air conditioned room before his alarm goes off and the curtains open automatically. He gets out of bed and stretches out his arms while yawning knowing a pot of coffee has not started yet. Citizen A lives in a world where most tasks have been automated. His financial accounts and all the watch guards to protect them are done by personally owned algorithms.
These algorithms that manage Citizen A‘s life were purchased years prior and developed with him as he grew older. They are custom made tools designed to fit perfectly into his life over the years. Some were birthday gifts some were earned during his study at university. Seldom are people excited to get socks, ties or even tablets as gifts anymore. Even luxury items don’t get the eye widening reaction a good algorithm does. And this is true for all ages. Sure, the allure of luxury still exists. The 3 main auction houses are booming as much as the museums and Broadway shows but if you ask most anyone what they need and what they would like the answer, 9 times out of 10, would be one of the most recent algorithms. That might be an algorithm that makes sure you get the movie and theater tickets you want every time or the one to perform your latest doctor appointments or medical tests outside the system to save you Stabile Coins. Yes. A few good well trained algorithms can save you a ton of Stabile Coins over the years. Citizen A’s algorithm community is a network the future person cannot live without. Oh. BTW, the name ‘Citizen A’ is what the algorithms call John A. Smith. It is John’s name in his digital house, so to speak.
Number 123-45-6789 is the ‘name’ John A. Smith is given by the government, financial bodies, employer and industry as a whole. In the old days they called it a social security number, some societies called it a social credit number, but we all know it as our identity which needs to be protected from all shady and criminal elements in society. Through this number hackers and criminals of all types can steal your identity and move into your digital world, so to speak. That is why good guardian algorithms are essential. Because as much as the governments and corporations promise your safety they are always lacking. And that means in taking the blame too. So, make sure to grow yourself some good custom algos to keep the bad guys away. And you would not believe what a good algo can do to cut down wait times at the DMV. No more waiting for your phone to ring all morning to inform you that the paperwork was submitted, approved and here’s your digital license. You’ll get that alert before the coffee arrives. Yes. John A. Smith cannot imagine physically waiting in long sweaty lines for hours only to be sent to another line to wait some more. “How did people in those days manage? My ancestors were real savages.” He thinks to himself as he takes a sip of his coffee with a smile. He smells it before he takes that sip because that’s all part of the process on how you really enjoy your morning coffee. Come on now Every coffee drinker knows that.
The last aspect of this soon to be upon us world of the future is the socialization with other people and organic creatures. Because no amount of technology can remove the fact that we are social creatures and that self expression and being around other people is as important as breathing and eating. In this not-too-distant future there are parks and theaters and shows and promenades and all that good stuff. Hanging out with family and friends is still a real thing and some of those people will be right next to John A. Smith and some might be in other locations. Imagine being with a group of friends two of which are in other countries on you screen. They might even be speaking other languages he does not know but are being translated by his good algorithm he calls Citizen Franca. The translation by the algorithm Citizen Franca is so good that communication is seamless. No mistranslations either. And absolutely no hallucinations. (BTW, John A. Smith is the name he uses with the world he interacts with.)
What about other forms of organic life? Some algorithms will be able to even translate the language of animals and for scientists the language of bacteria, but that’s for another story. Imagine John A. Smith in Central Park, hanging waiting on friends in Sheep’s Meadow, when a squirrel comes down from a tree and asks for a peanut. What if the conversation went like this:
Squirrel: “Hey, human.”
John A. Smith: “Hey, friend. What’s new?”
Squirrel: “Nothing much. What a beautiful day. Say, you got any of those delicious peanuts you had yesterday?”
John A. Smith: “Nope. And it wasn’t yesterday. It was last week.”
Squirrel: “Yeah well. I haven’t had anything to eat all day and I am huuuungry. Can you go get some?”
John A. Smith: “Nope. Ask someone else. Sheep’s Meadow is packed today. Look at all these people.”
Squirrel: “Yeah but look at all those dogs. I’ll have to risk my life and outrun those dogs. Come on, your good people Johnny (John growls inside. Only his mother can call him Johnny). I’d do it for you. You know that if I could walk into one of those delis and get some peanuts I would. And I’d pick you up a bag too.”
The conversation continues.
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Needless to say this conversation ends with the persistent squirrel getting his peanuts.
The not-too-distant future of New York City and society as a whole undergoes many sweeping changes. The things we value and that grab our attention have changed but what is most important in our lives stays essentially the same.
This is how I see New York City in the not-too-distant future.
John Ink2Quill
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