Chapter 68: Peaceful New York

Birdsong. That's something Night City doesn't have. Night City had wiped out all the birds, supposedly due to an avian flu epidemic that had once spread. But that explanation didn't really hold up, because with the birds gone, Night City's slums turned into trash heaps infested with bugs and rats, yet you didn't see the mayor doing anything about exterminating cockroaches and other pests. So why were the birds wiped out? No one really knows the true reason, but since then, Night City's skies have belonged only to skyscrapers and hovercars. Yesterday, after popping an immunosuppressant, Leo fell asleep, and by the time he woke up, he was in New York. No ads, bright sunshine, and you can even hear birds chirping—gotta say, this beats Night City by a mile. Leo got out of bed. Hell's Kitchen was far better than the slums of Night City—of course, that's only when compared to Night City. Leo's mother knocked on the door, "Leo—are you up? Breakfast is ready." "Coming." He put on his clothes and started his new day in New York. Although the immune response was pretty severe, and his body felt weak. At the breakfast table, Skye spoke mysteriously, "Boss, let me show you the new AI I've been working on." "Not bad—not bad at all, I've already tested it out." Skye was stunned. Leo took a sip of milk, "Have you considered expanding this AI? Like, maybe extending it to public safety or the civilian internet?" Leo didn't add more—because he had not only tested it, but also ended up killing a few people with it. "Boss, great minds think alike! I've already had similar thoughts, but the processors we have right now aren't up to the task..." "Before we dive into the technical details," Leo wiped his mouth, "we need to talk about some ethical issues—so you don't get tricked by some hacker group into doing something you shouldn't." The framework for the traffic AI was fine, but the next step was expanding this AI into other areas. In public safety, it could expand into behavioral monitoring, analyzing citizens' jobs, habits, family situations, movement patterns, and more to assess their likelihood of committing a crime, or even to predict crimes. In the civilian sector, it would naturally evolve into more precise content delivery—if you like funny videos, it would push funny videos; if you're into conspiracy theories, it would push those to you. But both functions come with usage issues. In public safety, ctOS could predict the existence of criminals, but how do you define a criminal? A feudal lord would consider a runaway serf a criminal, a loan shark would consider someone who can't repay principal and interest a criminal, and a factory owner would consider anyone not working a full 12-hour day...well, as lazy. Defining crime is a sociological issue. The expansion of content delivery in the civilian sector is similar. By pushing content highly relevant to the user's interests, you increase user engagement, encouraging them to stay on the network longer to generate profit. But what happens if everyone is immersed in fake happiness? How will they achieve anything in the real world? The ease of achieving happiness is just a small issue. What if ctOS starts intensive, biased nudges? For example, pushing content about infidelity to newlyweds, content highly customized to reflect their marital life. If a spouse leaves for work at 8 a.m. and comes back at 10 p.m., it could be work-related, but it could also be an affair. By never mentioning work but constantly pushing content about infidelity, it naturally sows seeds of doubt, plunging them into the abyss of suspicion. That's just marriage—what if the manipulation is in elections? It could be even more direct—pushing a candidate's information in crowded traffic intersections, noisy streets, or stinky garbage dumps. People might develop an aversion to that candidate, like how Baby Albert (see Note 1) reacted to animals. "If the model you're talking about is completed, you can bet politicians will come knocking on your door. Do you understand that?" Advanced technology is a breakthrough in politics. Military tech is the more aggressive kind, while civilian tech is the softer approach, but they're brothers—or rather, the same thing. Skye widened her eyes and shook her head. "Boss, it sounds like you're saying we'd become the shadowy manipulators of the world." "In August 1942, Oppenheimer was appointed head of the Manhattan Project. He didn't know what he was creating at the time— But we all know now. Believe me, this technology, in the hands of the most powerful nation, is as valuable as the atomic bomb." "So what should we do?" Skye asked cautiously, sensing that Leo was dead serious. Hackers are a group that's hard to convince, but once they recognize someone as more skilled, their distrust of the world transforms into a deep trust in that smart individual. To Skye, Leo had surpassed the level of a "top hacker"; he was a super genius. "We..." Leo paused. Political differences are problems humanity has yet to solve, so how could he claim to have the answer? "We stay neutral, only offering services that benefit the people—though I can't say which politicians are good, at this moment, improving commuting conditions, providing useful content to those who need it, and helping them find jobs, is definitely not a wrong choice— Oh, and catching criminals. How's the NYPD doing these days?" "Well, there should be news this morning. The NYPD's finally got something to brag about; they're reporting weekly now." As she spoke, Skye turned on the TV. "According to the NYPD, the soaring crime rate has been curbed in the past three weeks, with the growth rate dropping from 5.6% to 1.2%. The clearance rate has increased from 20% to 39%, with even crime-ridden Clinton experiencing a negative growth rate, down from 14.6% to 5%. The clearance rate has risen significantly higher than in other districts, with a whopping 120% increase, bringing it to 42%." Leo watched the stream of data with a strange expression. Is this good? Well, this is New York, after all—can't be too critical. "Oh, right, Anthony said Captain Stacey wants to deepen collaboration by installing our safety network throughout Clinton, but there's a lot of opposition from the councilors." Leo raised an eyebrow, "And then?" "And then...it seems that councilor's about to fall from grace. It happened about two weeks ago, and after a public opinion poll, he hasn't been seen in the public eye since." Skye shrugged, "Speaking of which, you've got Anthony and his big mouth to thank for that. When that councilor was giving his speech, Anthony was just two streets over. His crowd, fresh from hearing Anthony's speech, went and threw bottles and cans at the councilor—what a spectacle." Hell's Kitchen still had a lot of good people—too bad no one had the guts to kick that old man out. Leo thought for a moment, then asked, "What about the Union Construction Company?" "They're keeping quiet, busy building houses, but..." Skye hesitated, "Boss, I found something in their emails. Apparently, the building across the street will sell for millions when it's finished. The land value's shot up several times—if people around here find out..." "Let them find out," Leo shrugged. "You don't think it's the common folk driving up property prices, do you? Maybe they're laundering money. Keep an eye on it, and give a heads-up to your old friends at the rising tide forum when the time comes." Skye was momentarily stunned, "Boss, you're spot on. The money came from abroad, and it's shady as hell." "We do our job, let the city and companies handle theirs. There's plenty to do—just drop that info on the forum and let it be." Leo finished speaking and bit into his sandwich, wiping his hands. He looked up to see his mother smiling warmly at him, then she burst into laughter. Leo was puzzled and wiped his cheek. "Mom, what are you laughing at? You startled me." "It's just that...you really look like a little boss right now. John left you a note—don't put too much pressure on yourself." Leo shrugged, "This? This isn't pressure." After saying that, Leo glanced back at Skye— "Actually, I've already got a complete idea for this tech, but I'm thinking of a...special way to help you understand it all." "What way?" "Do you like playing games?" Note 1: Similar to Pavlov's dogs, the experimenter presented a baby, Albert, with white rats, rabbits, dogs, and monkeys, to which he had no abnormal reaction. The experimenter then struck a steel bar to create a loud noise whenever these animals were presented, eventually causing baby Albert to fear and dislike them.