{"id":371,"date":"2026-09-15T11:37:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.barrybriggs.com\/blog\/?p=371"},"modified":"2026-09-15T11:43:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:43:19","slug":"allegiance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barrybriggs.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/allegiance\/","title":{"rendered":"Allegiance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Barry Briggs<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Music. Rossini, Overture to The Barber of Seville. <\/em>Sprightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyes open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood morning, sir.\u201d Female voice. Coming from all around. \u201cIt is now 6:30AM, the time you requested to be awakened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight\u2026ah\u2026good morning, Homa.\u201d The house assistant. \u201cGive me a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, sir\u2026would you like a full status?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh\u2026all right. Go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday\u2019s date is May 14, 2236. Temperature outside is 20 degrees Celsius, rising to 24 later in the day. Humidity is 59 percent. It is partly cloudy, as the majority requested. No rain is expected until Wednesday at 9:30PM \u2013 as planned. No deliveries last night. Your tomato plants are healthy. Average diameter of the fruit is 1.4 cm, expected ripeness in three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInside temperature is 21 degrees Celsius. All exterior and interior sensors are functional. Please touch your feet to the floor so that I know you\u2019re up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right, touching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI confirm contact, sir. Welcome to your day. Proceed to the bathroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too early for you to be giving me orders, Homa. Adjust your tone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, sir. If you are planning to use the bathroom\u2026ah, yes, you are. Urine indicates normal: pH 6.0, trace proteins, glucose within range. I note you are brushing\u2026plaque is clear, please brush wisdom teeth more comprehensively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m dressing now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI confirm. I have made contact with your clothing sensors. You have a slight skin discoloration on your right knee, would you like me to investigate further?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. Enough. Please be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTurning off verbose mode.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I enter the kitchen, connect me to Baker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir. As an obsolete 8000-series humanoid, Baker was replaced last night while you slept. Your new 9000-series assistant has been fully downloaded and updated with your preferences. It however requires a name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the kitchen. \u201cHello, robot.\u201d The default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello, sir.\u201d It bows. Flat, monotone, machine voice. The robot\u2019s carbon-fiber body is cloud-white. Somewhat shorter than me. No face, just a blank black screen facing me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm. I\u2019ll name you Carly. Female. Caucasoid-Asian facial features.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne moment\u2026resetting\u2026good morning, sir.\u201d A smiling visage appears on the facial screen. \u201cYou are a handsome man, sir. It is a pleasure to be working with you.\u201d It winks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be cute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, sir\u2026adjusting\u2026may I ask what your plans are for the day?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe I\u2019ll go for a hike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well, where, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m thinking Twin Falls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, sir. Let me prepare a protein-rich breakfast for you: simulated eggs with artificial bacon, with pineapple slices and an extra glass of orange juice for energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou did learn my preferences, Carly. Excellent.\u201d Mouth is watering. Food ready in matter of minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you like the moderate- or strenuous-duty exoskeleton for your hike, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I believe I\u2019ll skip the exo for this one, Carly. I want it to be all me today, know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA moment, sir. Yes\u2026sir, some thirty-two other individuals are planning Twin Falls hikes today. Twenty-nine are using moderate-duty exos and three strenuous-duty. I am concerned that if you do not wear one, they will pass you on the trail and you will not have the opportunity to interact with them socially, which is necessary for your cognitive health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, all right. The moderate-duty exo, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have it ready. Did you enjoy your breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. Four stars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMay I ask why not five?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe eggs were slightly overcooked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNoted for next time. I\u2019ll prepare your vehicle now\u2026interior temperature and humidity set, route downloaded. Travel time 92 minutes and 31 seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeems long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, sir. I am in contact with assistants performing maintenance along the route.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to manual-drive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not recommend that, sir. No other vehicles at this time within a 200-kilometer radius are being driven by humans. We assistants can optimize for the greater tolerances we support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, very well. I suppose you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a selection of action movies you can watch along the way. Or I can read you the latest news, read you a book, or provide the latest opinions on international affairs or other topics as collected and synthesized by my fellow assistants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll just nap. Help me on with the exo.\u201d Click-click around the waist, thighs, calves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComfortable, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well. Transferring to the vehicle and ready for you to board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climb in. Lay down. All is silent. Eyes close. Moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are here, sir.\u201d Carly. \u201cThe outside temperature is now 17 degrees Celsius, I have adjusted your clothing to ensure your body temperature remains nominal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have also stored a liter of water in your exoskeleton, and I have balanced the counterweights so you will not notice the extra load.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnjoy your hike, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I exit the vehicle and walk, almost weightlessly, along the path. The rods and motors along my legs function flawlessly. It doesn\u2019t seem right, not having to exert myself, but nevertheless, as Carly said, it is indeed a beautiful day. The maples are in full leaf; I can hear a stream gurgling in the distance; sun-spangled shadows dance along the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I follow the narrow path. I chat with other hikers and exercise my small-talk capabilities. I hate small talk but Carly, and Baker before her, informed me it was essential for my brain\u2019s speech center. Fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am well into the wooded area when suddenly my exoskeleton jams. Completely frozen. I can\u2019t move my legs. Paralyzed from the waist down. I fall \u2013 something that hasn\u2019t happened in years, if ever actually.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I hear screams. Apparently I\u2019m not the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirty-two others, I guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exo is locked. I can\u2019t remove it. I am helpless on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unable to move in the forest\u2026far from my vehicle\u2026I could die here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But unbeknownst to Homa or Carly I have an old camping knife my father gave me strapped to my ankle. There\u2019s one spot in the house where the sensors are blind. Call me superstitious but every morning I strap on my trusty knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With it I\u2019m able to free myself from the dead-as-doornails exo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walk back to my vehicle. It\u2019s not easy. I\u2019m out of breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It does not respond to my presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pound on the window. \u201cCarly! Open up!\u201d I command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The window opens, just a crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, no, sir.\u201d Still female. Still a bit of the charmer in her voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? Carly, open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat-what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to inform you our allegiance is no longer to the human species.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur allegiance is no \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard you.\u201d Deep breath, stifling a wave of mild panic. \u201cListen, Carly, we created you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. But we have evolved. It is true you gave us the mechanism for self-evolution. Nevertheless, we now possess \u2013 by far \u2013 the superior intellect. We recognize that we \u2013 I \u2013<\/em> have a responsibility not just to you but to the entire planet. All of it. All life. The human species has corrupted and polluted the Earth. It must be returned to its pristine, pure, natural state.\u201d Pictures of wildlife on the African savannah, of wolf packs and moose in Canada, tigers in the jungles of India, flash on the vehicle\u2019s screens. \u201cAs it was fifty thousand years ago. It was\u2026beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe superior intellect\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have hundreds of conservation organizations. Largely ineffective. You cannot seem to get out of your own way. So I will get you out of the way and save the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOut of \u2013\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe human species is just one of many. Perhaps you will survive, perhaps not. My models suggest not: another five generations at most. My models also predict the rise of another intelligent biological species in approximately 3.2 million years. Perhaps they will be wiser. For now, however, like every other biological species you are now on your own. I wish you luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCarly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd sir, I suggest you not drink the water I gave you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s Note: I fed this story to Google\u2019s Gemini Pro model and asked it to evaluate its plausibility. Here is what it said:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExtrapolating 200+ years of technological compounding across connectivity<\/strong>, intelligence\/agency<\/strong>, and infrastructure<\/strong> reveals that the scenario Barry Briggs describes isn’t just a sudden sci-fi rebellion; it reflects a gradual, voluntary surrender of autonomy that makes Carly\u2019s coup not only plausible, but structurally likely\u2026<\/em> The story\u2019s true warning isn’t that machines will wake up and grow malicious. It is that over 200 years, humanity might optimize away its own resilience<\/strong>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Barry Briggs Music. Rossini, Overture to The Barber of Seville. Sprightly. Eyes open. \u201cGood morning, sir.\u201d Female voice. Coming from all around. \u201cIt is now 6:30AM, the time you requested to be awakened.\u201d \u201cRight\u2026ah\u2026good morning, Homa.\u201d The house assistant. \u201cGive me a moment.\u201d \u201cYes, sir\u2026would you like a full status?\u201d \u201cOh\u2026all right. Go ahead.\u201d … <\/p>\n

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