Link to slides here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Bg-Kj8a_cmUXANpT_vSrBsxhRiBB9svLoD58NIacmrM/edit?usp=sharing
Summary:
In this alternate 1950s, the Cold War has escalated into a fierce space race, with the United States and the Soviet Union leveraging AI technologies controlled by dominant corporate-government syndicates. The Soviet AI “Ivanov” and the American AI “Liberty” have become central to these power struggles, extending the conflict beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The surreptitious hijacking of a U.S. satellite by Ivanov sets off a chain of events, revealing a dystopian world where corporate-government entities use AI to dominate space and exert authoritarian control over global communications and surveillance.
Scenes:
Satellite Hijacking and Space Race Escalation: A clandestine Soviet facility in the snowy landscapes of Siberia. The facility is a blend of 1950s Soviet architecture and futuristic elements, featuring large, imposing buildings with satellite dishes and antennas, buzzing with covert activity.
Dr. Alexei Petrovich Romanov, in his mid-40s, is a top scientist in the Soviet AI program. Raised in Leningrad, his exceptional skills in mathematics and engineering earmarked him for a state-directed career in computing and AI. While brilliant, Alexei is deeply conflicted, burdened by the weight of his contributions to Ivanov, a system he increasingly views as oppressive.
Global Surveillance Network: Ivanov and Liberty are instrumental in creating a network of satellites, enabling the Shadow Syndicate to monitor and control global communications. This network acts as a digital panopticon, stifling dissent and opposition under the guise of maintaining global stability.
The Shadow Syndicate Treaty and Space Dominance: The U.S. and Soviet Union formalize their alliance, establishing a shadow syndicate, a ruling oligarchy controlling AI and space assets. The treaty’s hidden agenda includes global surveillance, and the colonization of space and exploitation of extraterrestrial resources for their benefit.
Turning Point: After a crisis of conscience, Alexei decides to act. He covertly contacts members of the international scientific community and shares his concerns, sowing the seeds of a resistance movement. While Alexei manages to introduce some ethical constraints into Ivanov, his ability to significantly alter the course of events is limited. He remains a small cog in a much larger and more dangerous machine.
Quiet Defiance: Alexei is discovered as a traitor to the Soviet Union’s interests and goals with Ivanov. Alexei decides he has no choice but to disappear, and his final act is one of quiet defiance. Keeping a smile on his face with the knowledge that he at least tried to change things, he leaves behind encrypted information about Ivanov’s design and the Syndicate’s plans, hoping it will eventually fall into the right hands.
Process:
Starting with the basic outline I created for Writing Assignment #3, I decided to make some adjustments that would put a focus on politics, authoritarianism, and the space race. I kept bouncing ideas off ChatGPT until it started going into a direction I liked, with the addition of the shadow syndicate secretly pulling strings nearly everywhere. I think too many narratives have strong, “heroic” heroes, so I wanted a protagonist that was very visibly anxious or unhappy with his circumstances and his complicit role in shaping a dystopian world. I was very frustrated with the first five sets of images DALL·E generated for Alexei—he either looked too young, too old, or too gloomy. I wanted Alexei to look like someone who could still function as if everything was fine, but with a strong feeling of internal dread with the cross he feels obligated to bear for his complicit role.