Will our AI-driven future be the one we want?
Clearly, artificial intelligence is shaping humanity’s future. The speed with which it is spreading and influencing our actions is already evident. But what if its future trajectory is not what we want it to be? What if the AI systems we rely on become biased—even prejudiced? What if a few individuals end up controlling global AI systems that influence—nay, direct—us? What if the majority of us lose control?
This was the idea that sparked a thought experiment. Added to it was another parallel possibility…
What if the internet evolves to a point where it can transmit all five senses perfectly? Not just audio and vision, as in present-day video conferencing, but every sense—including smell, touch, and taste. That would make virtual presence indistinguishable from physical reality, wouldn’t it?
What then would happen to the institutions of marriage and family if people prefer highly acquiescent and replaceable synthetic individuals over real human partners? What impact would that have on already declining national populations? How would the workplace, shopping, travel, and social interactions change? What new forms would erotica, entertainment, and education take?
These two ideas—the possibility of prejudiced AI and full five-senses virtualization—came together to form the thesis of my new novel, 2080: The Lattice.
Like many sci-fi stories before it, this too is a thought experiment, enriched with elements that make a story relatable: a high-stakes plot, diverse characters, inescapable conflict, shifting intrigue, ever-present danger, and action.
I hope you find this story worth your time. The book will be out soon.
Indian Crime Fiction – The Past, Present & Future
Here an opinion piece on where Indian Noir is today and where it seems to be headed. In addition to my own views, I offer perspectives from a publisher, a filmmaker and a couple of literary agents.
Here is the link to CrimeReads article:
Daily Mail’s review of Praying Mantis!
“On the surface it is a classic locked-room mystery, but one executed with such grace and style that it never seems old-fashioned or forced. Athreya is a detective to cherish.”
Coming Soon: A DIRE ISLE
Here is the first review of the upcoming mystery, A DIRE ISLE. Publishers Weekly review the second Harith Athreya mystery that is set in Orchha in Bundelkhand (Central India).
Link: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-951709-52-5
Raman’s enjoyable sequel to 2020’s A Will to Kill takes private investigator Harith Athreya to an archaeological dig on the banks of the River Betwa in Bundelkhand, India, at the behest of investors in the excavation concerned about financial irregularities. The site is run by the overbearing and unpopular Mrs. Markaan, who has a reputation for taking credit for work done by junior archaeologists on her team. Legend has it that a couple, forbidden to marry because one was Hindu and the other Muslim, escaped to a nearby island with a giant mastiff dog and have haunted it ever since. When Mrs. Markaan turns up dead on the island, Athreya must determine whether the death is related to the troubles with the dig’s finances, or if the island’s myths have become real. Raman does a good job weaving in the mystery with a possibility of the supernatural, all while juggling a large cast of characters. A multilayered reveal in the final pages proves satisfying as well. Armchair travelers and fans of traditional mysteries should take note.
American edition of A WILL TO KILL
Hello, folks in US and Canada! The American edition of A WILL TO KILL is now out. Available both online and offline. Please support in any way you can. Thanks. Please share!
Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Kill-Harith-Athreya/dp/1951709071/
Thrillers, mysteries and science fiction set in India 