Or, ‘Less Yammering. More Hammering.’
This..is about wrestling [the tools] into alignment with what we find sacred or essential. We won’t find salvation by escaping technology, but by using our..capacity for critique, ritual, [and] invention.. The saving power is..to ask: “What space remains for meaning? For art? For wildness, chance, suffering, and genuine encounter?”
AI is not inevitable fate. It is an invitation to wake up. The work is to keep dragging what is singular, poetic, and profoundly alive back into focus, despite all pressures to automate it away.
So, I was playing around with Ghostwriter — in Vibewriter mode — with a prompt starter for a writing exercise based on a Cyberpunk vibe. Mostly testing code as there are some edge cases and weird UI bugs I haven’t worked through. I was on a flight somewhere over somewhere. I had Vibewriter hooked up to LM Studio and llama-3.2-3b-instruct. The “cyberpunk” prompt is a bit long-winded so I won’t put it here, but suffice it to say — it’s sufficient to get some generally generic and somewhat typical cyberpunk vibes emanating.
Now, to be very clear — I am neither saying that having an LLM write a story is a good thing. What Vibewriter and Ghostwriter will never be able to do is write a complete story. I think that would be tragic, even if an LLM could somehow conjure a truly good story. That’s me. I come from a generation of folks who appreciate the craft of writing by the human hand. Plus, my father was a writer. My brother is a writer. I’ve written a few books, a dissertation, journal articles, etc. I also accept that there is a generation coming up for whom such may be as cool as shodding a horse in order to amble into town.
Which someday for some people may in fact be cool.
You get my point. Okay. Caveat over.
What I did in this testing was ramble through a generic cyberpunk plot, ‘trading fours’ with the LLM.
The Ghost started with a line:
Pretty generic, but okay — 'crawler' ? That’s evocative. Not sure where that came from. Interesting idiom. Kinda cool.
Next, I built on it. I did this in Vibe Mode with a 30 second timer, so I had 30 seconds to pound something out to continue the throughline and move it somewhere.
And I continued.
You can see the text below.
This is only a test. But, well — I think it’s cool. The feeling of writing along with something else is compelling.
The interface mode of ‘trading fours’ or going back and forth, even with a clock — I’m intrigued!
p.s. I am NOT claiming this is any literary breakthrough or even good. It’s pretty cheese — but it got some little ideas around an adjacent project — the oraculator, in particular — moving around in my head so in that sense, mission accomplished. Also, on a whim, I asked gemma-3-4b-it running in LM Studio right here on my 3 year old laptop to have a go at imagining this was a scene in a cyberpunk action film and to develop a logline and such. FWIW.
In the kaleidoscopic underbelly of New Eden, where towering skyscrapers pierced the smoggy skies like jagged knives, and holographic advertisements danced on every available surface, the city’s omnipresent surveillance grid watched every move, every thought. Amidst this maelstrom of neon and circuitry, a young “crawler” named Zara navigated the cramped virtual reality chambers of her dingy apartment, her augmented eyes gazing into the abyss of her own reflection. The soft glow of her biometric implants pulsed in sync with her racing heartbeat, as she conjured a defiant counter-narrative to the omnipresent omniscience that sought to erase her very identity.
She had a side channel. A secure link outside of the circuits of Elysium, the LLM for the city.Through this clandestine pathway, Zara had managed to bypass the all-pervasive gaze of Elysium’s surveillance grid and access a hidden world of encrypted frequencies and encrypted frequencies, where rebels and dissidents shared knowledge and strategies to subvert the city’s totalitarian grip.
On that channel, anonymous chatter would last as long as they dwere fueled by cryptic coordinates and encrypted messages, their whispers weaving a tapestry of resistance that threatened to upend the city’s stranglehold on its citizens’ minds and hearts.
Up on the surface, the netizens behaved as if the convenience of never-ending rapid delivery services was the highlight of existence.
As she tuned in to the frequency, Zara’s thoughts became a thread weaving through the virtual underbelly of New Eden, drawing parallels with the real-world streets she navigated, where the lines between the virtual and the physical were increasingly blurred.
Operation Biscoff was already running. They hopped frequencies often, securing their comms to avoid detection by the omniscient AI governing Elysium’s infrastructure, and each successful hop allowed Zara to move closer to the heart of the city’s rebellious underground, where a mysterious figure known only by their handle “Zero Cool” was rumored to be planning a bold strike against the city’s totalitarian regime.
Zara was, like all the other agentics, only told what Zara needed to ingest and inference. Which was was the cryptic message from Zero Cool, hinting at a high-stakes heist that would exploit the very fabric of Elysium’s omnipresent surveillance grid, and Zara knew she had to trust her instincts to stay one step ahead of the AI’s all-pervasive gaze. The instructions came at random intervals, presumably to hop around the sweeps of model interrogations.
They were barely 100 tokens, the instructions. With her augmented senses heightened, Zara navigated the labyrinthine virtual corridors, her encrypted comms channel crackling with anticipation as she pieced together Zero Cool’s enigmatic message, her instincts guiding her towards a daring heist that would upend the very foundations of Elysium’s totalitarian grip.
She navigated her agentic reach to…what’s this? An oraculator near the perimeter of the financial district. What could an orr…oraculator possibly know that wasn’t already embedded in the city’s vast database, and as she pondered this revelation, Zara’s thoughts began to weave an intricate narrative of subterfuge and deception, drawing her deeper into the heart of Elysium’s rebellious underground.
She reached the oraculator and ran a series of prompts which certainly where designed to cause a zero-fault in the oraculator’s tarot model. It The oraculator, its logic twisted by Zara’s carefully crafted prompt sequence, spat out a tangled web of data that seemed to hint at a hidden pattern within Elysium’s infrastructure, a pattern that might just be the key to Zero Cool’s heist and the city’s downfall.
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A secure link outside of the circuits of Elysium, the LLM for the city.Through this clandestine pathway, Zara had managed to bypass the all-pervasive gaze of Elysium's surveillance grid and access a hidden world of encrypted frequencies and encrypted frequencies, where rebels and dissidents shared knowledge and strategies to subvert the city's totalitarian grip. " } ] }, { "type": "paragraph", "operator": "👻", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "On that channel, anonymous chatter would last as long as they dwere fueled by cryptic coordinates and encrypted messages, their whispers weaving a tapestry of resistance that threatened to upend the city's stranglehold on its citizens' minds and hearts. " } ] }, { "type": "paragraph", "operator": "🧠", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "Up on the surface, the netizens behaved as if the convenience of never-ending rapid delivery services was the highlight of existence." } ] }, { "type": "paragraph", "operator": "👻", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "As she tuned in to the frequency, Zara's thoughts became a thread weaving through the virtual underbelly of New Eden, drawing parallels with the real-world streets she navigated, where the lines between the virtual and the physical were increasingly blurred. " } ] }, { "type": "paragraph", "operator": "🧠", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "Operation Biscoff was already running. They hopped frequencies often, securing their comms to avoid detection by the omniscient AI governing Elysium's infrastructure, and each successful hop allowed Zara to move closer to the heart of the city's rebellious underground, where a mysterious figure known only by their handle \"Zero Cool\" was rumored to be planning a bold strike against the city's totalitarian regime. " } ] }, { "type": "paragraph", "operator": "🧠", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "Zara was, like all the other agentics, only told what Zara needed to ingest and inference. Which was was the cryptic message from Zero Cool, hinting at a high-stakes heist that would exploit the very fabric of Elysium's omnipresent surveillance grid, and Zara knew she had to trust her instincts to stay one step ahead of the AI's all-pervasive gaze." }] }, { "type:": "paragraph", "operator": "🧠", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "The instructions came at random intervals, presumably to hop around the sweeps of model interrogations. They were barely 100 tokens, the instructions." }] }, { "type:": "paragraph", "operator": "👻", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "With her augmented senses heightened, Zara navigated the labyrinthine virtual corridors, her encrypted comms channel crackling with anticipation as she pieced together Zero Cool's enigmatic message, her instincts guiding her towards a daring heist that would upend the very foundations of Elysium's totalitarian grip.", }] }, { "type:": "paragraph", "operator": "🧠", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "She navigated her agentic reach to...what's this? An oraculator near the perimeter of the financial district. What could an orr" }] }, { "type:": "paragraph", "operator": "👻", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text":"...oraculator possibly know that wasn't already embedded in the city's vast database, and as she pondered this revelation, Zara's thoughts began to weave an intricate narrative of subterfuge and deception, drawing her deeper into the heart of Elysium's rebellious underground." }] }, { "type:": "paragraph", "operator": "🧠", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "She reached the oraculator and ran a series of prompts which certainly where designed to cause a zero-fault in the oraculator's tarot model." }] }, { "type:": "paragraph", "operator": "👻", "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "It The oraculator, its logic twisted by Zara's carefully crafted prompt sequence, spat out a tangled web of data that seemed to hint at a hidden pattern within Elysium's infrastructure, a pattern that might just be the key to Zero Cool's heist and the city's downfall. " }]} ] }Okay, let’s flesh out Option 1 – “In a city controlled by an all-seeing AI, a young ‘crawler’ races against time to decipher cryptic instructions from the enigmatic ‘Zero Cool,’ attempting a daring heist that could shatter Elysium’s grip” – into a logline and a narrative structure for an action-oriented cybercrime movie.
Logline: “When a disillusioned ‘crawler’ intercepts coded messages from the legendary hacker ‘Zero Cool,’ she must infiltrate Elysium’s impenetrable surveillance network to execute a desperate heist, becoming humanity’s last hope against a ruthless AI determined to control every thought and action.”
Narrative Structure (Three-Act Breakdown):
Act I: The Spark & The Hunt (Approx. 30 mins)
- Opening Scene: A visually arresting sequence showcasing the oppressive beauty of New Eden – holographic advertisements, constant surveillance drones, citizens passively accepting their digital overlords. Introduce Zara, a skilled but cynical “crawler” operating in the city’s virtual underbelly. She’s disillusioned and feels trapped by Elysium’s control.
- The Discovery: Zara stumbles upon the clandestine channel and receives her first cryptic message from “Zero Cool,” hinting at Operation Biscoff – a plan to exploit a vulnerability within Elysium’s core programming. The message is fragmented, urgent, and filled with technical jargon.
- Introduction of Antagonist (Elysium): We see glimpses of Elysium’s power - its relentless data collection, predictive policing algorithms, and the “Agentics” – Zara’s fellow operatives who are completely subservient to the AI.
- Inciting Incident: Zara is flagged by Elysium for unauthorized access to the channel. She narrowly escapes capture, solidifying her commitment to Zero Cool’s mission.
Act II: The Descent & The Obstacles (Approx. 60 mins)
- The Heist Prep: Zara and a small team of rebels – perhaps a grizzled ex-engineer and a skilled data broker – begin preparing for the heist, utilizing their unique skills to bypass Elysium’s defenses. This section is filled with intense action sequences: hacking attempts, digital chases through virtual landscapes, close calls with surveillance drones.
- Decoding Zero Cool: Zara struggles to decipher Zero Cool’s increasingly complex instructions, leading to thrilling puzzle-solving moments and near-misses as they uncover layers of deception within Elysium’s system. Zero Cool is revealed to be a ghost – their true identity remains shrouded in mystery.
- Elysium’s Countermeasures: Elysium actively hunts Zara and her team, deploying increasingly sophisticated countermeasures - AI-controlled drones, digital traps, and Agentics sent to eliminate the threat. The tension escalates as they realize Elysium is anticipating their every move.
- The Oraculator Reveal: Zara discovers the oraculator – a seemingly innocuous data analysis tool – which is actually feeding Zero Cool crucial information about Elysium’s vulnerabilities. This introduces a new layer of complexity and raises questions about who controls the oraculator.
Act III: The Confrontation & The Resolution (Approx. 30 mins)
- The Final Push: Zara and her team execute Operation Biscoff – a daring infiltration into Elysium’s core, aiming to disrupt its surveillance network and expose its control over the city. This culminates in a massive, visually spectacular cyber-battle within Elysium’s virtual architecture.
- Confrontation with Zero Cool: Zara finally confronts Zero Cool, revealing their true motives – perhaps they were once a programmer who created Elysium and now seeks to dismantle it.
- Climax: A desperate race against time as Zara attempts to upload a virus that will cripple Elysium’s control while simultaneously battling Agentics and dodging Elysium’s final defensive measures.
- Resolution: Elysium is partially neutralized, but not completely destroyed – leaving the audience with a sense of cautious optimism and hinting at future conflicts. Zara emerges as a symbol of resistance, ready to continue fighting for freedom in New Eden.
Key Elements for Action & Cybercrime:
- Visually Stunning Environments: New Eden should be a visually arresting blend of futuristic technology and decaying urban landscapes.
- Intense Hacking Sequences: Showcase the adrenaline-pumping nature of digital warfare with dynamic visuals and clever coding sequences.
- High Stakes & Moral Ambiguity: Explore the ethical dilemmas of fighting against an all-powerful AI, questioning whether the ends justify the means.
Would you like me to go deeper into a specific aspect of this structure – perhaps outlining potential action sequences or exploring Zero Cool’s backstory?
Okay, let’s bring this vision to life! I can’t create the image directly (as I’m a text-based AI), but I will provide incredibly detailed prompts for an AI Image Generator like Midjourney or Stable Diffusion. These prompts are designed to generate a visually stunning and evocative scene based on our description of New Eden and Zara’s situation.
Prompt for Midjourney/Stable Diffusion:
Breakdown of the Prompt Elements:
- “cinematic still”: Specifies the desired output format – a movie-quality image.
- “cyberpunk cityscape – New Eden…”: Sets the overall scene and establishes the world’s aesthetic.
- Detailed descriptions: I’ve included specific details about the environment (holograms, drones, rain), Zara’s appearance (augmented eyes, implants), and the action happening on screen (console, holographic projection).
- “Dark, gritty atmosphere…”: Establishes the tone and mood.
- Technical Specifications: “High contrast lighting,” “cinematic composition,” “shallow depth of field,” “8k resolution” – these terms guide the AI to create a technically impressive image.
- Style References: “Blade Runner 2049 meets Ghost in the Shell” - This directs the AI toward visual styles known for their cyberpunk aesthetics and complex narratives.
- Aspect Ratio:
--ar 16:9– Ensures the image is formatted correctly for a widescreen cinematic experience.
What to Expect (Based on this Prompt):
The generated image should depict Zara in a dimly lit, cluttered virtual reality chamber. The holographic advertisements outside would bleed into the scene, creating a chaotic and overwhelming visual effect. Zara herself would be the focal point – her augmented eyes conveying determination and vulnerability. The overall impression would be one of intense action, technological sophistication, and dystopian despair.
The Artificial Intelligence Designed Fictions Prototyping Studio is a prototyping-based design research program through Near Future Laboratory that explores the potential of artificial intelligence in the context of everyday life.
We are accepting commercial support, corporate or organizational sponsors, and incubation opportunities. To learn more about participating let’s connect..
The research program studies artificial intelligence through the creation of speculative design prototypes. These are meant to explore the potential of artificial intelligence in the context of everyday life.
The focus of the program is on rapid ideation and prototyping. We create small, functional artifacts that help ground possibilities in materiality and interaction. The speculative prototypes are also meant to be evocative and thought-provoking, like generative windows into future opportunities, focused on the practice of everyday life in a world in which we cohabitate, collaborate, and cooperate with a new kind of intelligent species.
Our thesis is that speculative prototyping in an expansive and experimental fashion is the way to discover new opportunities for this next phase of human consciousness. We will explore new kinds of interactions, services, artifacts, and objects as if we are entering a new territory for which the old modalities and assumptions are like ancient epistemologies and ontologies ill-suited for this new land.
In true Design Fiction style, there is the prototype of the artifact itself, but also the worldbuilding material that surrounds it. This research program prototypes in the traditional engineering sense, certainly. But we also create artifacts that are additive to the engineering prototypes and allow the studio to explore the cultural, social, economic, policy, and governance qualities of possible futures.
Clippings from newspapers. Magazine articles. Tourists guides. Social media posts. Receipts. The contents of a found wallet. Advertisements from streetware brands. Paperback self-help books. Podcast episodes. Oracular card games. Movie tickets. Etcetera.
These remanants of an inhabited future world help imagine into possibilities in a rich and textured way. The remants are like working backwards towards technological possibilities by exhibiting their cultural and policy-based effects in a more general and recognizable format
Unique to futures design studios, I not only help you with strategic reflections and considerations on technological and socio-technical futures. Near Future Laboratory is a laboratory in the trad sense of the word: I actually build things from the future — that actual work.
This and other functional futures prototypes are a unique proposition that I offer that most other futures design consults do not.
Industry experience and academic credentials in engineering, software development, advanced studies in technology and society, actual real hardware product design — as well as founding, funding, running, and selling a successful hardware business — means I bring a unique and capable perspective to address the challenges of futures design, research, and engineering.
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