The Federation's AID Act

Fiction Portal Intergalactic Summit
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I write this address on the open Summit in the hopes that it will reach President Celes Aguard and her administration, as I fear that the Federation AID act will lead to short term military gains at the expense of long term weakness of the Federal economy.

I do believe that the Federation needs to come together. We have for too long operated with a luxury of autonomy, and this has left us divided and slow to react in the face of external threats. It is for this reason I was a cautious proponent of the United Response Act. I believe that a small sacrifice in member-state autonomy is necessary to ensure the protection of the wider Federation’s granted liberties and freedoms. The Automated Industry for Democracy (AID) Act was passed subsequently to the United Response Act, with the impression that it will help strengthen the Federation by boosting her industrial capabilities.

The AID Act was a mistake.

Ignoring the potential dangers of developing new variants of Rogue AI, of which we have already witnessed a massive outbreak of across New Eden, I fear the Federation AID Act will lead to an overall harm to the Federal economy.

In advocating for this bill, our president stated “The AID Act will free our citizens from drudgery with more efficient automation,” and it will. This will free countless Federation citizens from their jobs, jobs which they need to pay for food, rent, medical subscriptions, and the many other bills that plague the lower classes. Passing the AID Act, without enforcing restrictions upon how corporations may utilize this new avenue of industry, will lead to a spike in unemployment Federation wide. It will allow mega corporations to retain and hold further wealth over our citizens, leading to an economic crisis in many cities and member-states, especially where the wealth gap is already substantial. As more and more tasks and jobs are entrusted to AI, finding employment will get even harder than it already is, and this will affect a massive portion of the Federal population. An increase in unemployment and poverty leads to an increase in unrest, and this aids our enemies, President Aguard. This is a major problem, especially at at time where we have already been seeing a rise in psyops campaigns from foreign adversaries.

The AID Act needs to be repealed, or heavily regulated with the passing of additional legislation to limit the detrimental economic impact it will have. I urge Federation member-states as well, to pass legislation at the state level that will safeguard the citizens and the economy. If this does not happen it will create cracks in the foundation, giving hostile entities further footholds to leverage against the Federation.

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I think you are overreacting. There is so much manual labor needed at the planetary facilities that it is somehow a miracle the economy is not in dire straits (like that of Caldari) when you count in the huge demand for planetary commodities. Honestly, the supply chains are hardly keeping up with it.

So legallizing (oh irony) use of AI in automating commoditiy production will certainly ease that unnecessary strain.

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If the Federation has a technological advantage in the field of automation, why should they hold themselves back and allow “foreign and hostile entities” to dictate what they can and can’t do with it?

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Do you not see the disconnect here?

Thanks to the United Response Act you’ve admitted to supporting, the member states you’re now hoping will pass legislation, to protect their citizens against the consequences of the President’s legislation, are being rendered all but impotent to do so.

Look at the actions of your President over the last few months.

How many treaties, internal and external, has she breached since coming to power? When and where will she stop? Will she stop?

If it’s not too late, there are fears it may soon be.

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I would think it is very apparent to anyone watching the moves of the Aguard Administration that the massive unemployment that will result from this is very much intentional.

Almost as if a particular sector of the Federal job market has been chronically understaffed.

One that has been recently given unprecedented power over member states all while an increasingly belligerent Aguard is constantly fearmongering about the State and what a threat our existence poses. The same narrative she used to, as outlined in the post above, justify her flagrant disregard for both member states’ rights (before even outright signing them away) and international law.

Now the only question is if she will allow the crushing poverty and threat of outright starvation press the newly unemployed into service or if she will keep up with her utter lack of any subtlety or nuance and actually call for a draft.

Guess time will tell.

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From today’s News In Brief

  • Breakthrough on Compression, Transport, and Storage of Materials in Planetary Industrial Operations Ready for Colonial Deployment

@Emilia_Dallocort, see, no worries. It is all going to ramp up the supply.

On the side note, I wonder if those new legalized AI systems will be able to use warclone blanks as their manipulators? While PI infrastructure will require considerable amount of time to retrofit with AI controls, it could use those cloned bodies for manual labor replacement in the meanwhile.

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A massive portion of the “Federal population” willing to perform the technical tasks many Gallente consider menial has been recalled to the Caldari State.

Who do you propose will replace them?

The centralisation of control even at member state level is dangerous.
The economy can not—must not—be “protected”. The markets need time to adapt and respond appropriately at a local level. This is time the AID act denies.

I urge you and fellow IS members to view this statue for what it is; forced labour facilitating technocratic totalitarianism. AI is simply slavery by other means.

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Dear me, politics. I disagree, but to blunt my critique, I resolved to put my protest to prose.

Upon yonder footpath, mine eyes did alight, and lo, a crack did I espy. Mine ordered mind, appalled, this affront to calm by chaos. But when again the path did take, behold, the green grass hadst grown within the crack. Thus, mine heart didst learneth that cracks, perchance, are not so dire as I believed.

Best Reguards.
J.S.

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I for one look forward to the Federation’s advancements in AI. Aside from the benefits of having a skilled automoton to handle more dangerous and volatile jobs like deep core mining or working a fry vat, I often find myself with substandard service whilst transversing Federation systems. A quality android option might be a viable solution to such inherent sloth of the common populous.

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I have read your address with interest and whilst I agree on certain aspects of what you are saying, I would not decry the AID Act as a complete mistake on the Federation’s part in having legislated this onto the Statute Books. I thank you as well the other day for having the opportunity to converse with you for your own insights.

Advancement of technological innovation, it’s incorporation into the economies of the member states, and the innumerable benefits it has brought to our society has ensured that the average quality of life in the Federation is amongst some of the highest in New Eden. The Federation has always strived to pursue technology with the intention of transforming the boundaries of living standards, either to ease the struggle of peoples lives, or making it safer to perform roles in respect of hazardous industries, or to fulfil critical services in the absence of specialists. The AID Act is in my opinion but another chapter in that story of pushing the bar higher of what we could achieve.

Ultimately, whilst artificial intelligence and automated processes will be of beneficial use in streamlining certain industries and increasing efficiency, it will not supplant the primacy of a human being in the Federation’s economy and society. It cannot and will not be allowed to - these machines are built to serve and aid, not to replace. It would have been political suicide for any Senator to support an initiative that will rapidly increase unemployment amongst their constituents. The last circumstance any Senator would, or should, desire is to actively bring about increased hardship and suffering to those that have elected them into power. One has to exercise a significant amount of skill and intelligence to gain that office, even more so to remain there.

That said, I agree with your concerns and would encourage that the AID Act be amended to avoid needless turmoil amongst the member states and Districts that seek to utilise artificial intelligence and automation within their economies. Good intentions aside, the Federation, more than any other out of the Big Four, should be aware of the human factor when drafting and passing legislation at the Federal level. It owes a moral duty to each and every Federal citizen to do so.

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