Michael stood before the mirror, studying a face that looked like it hadn’t seen sleep in days. It was true, he’d barely slept the last three nights. Today was the first court hearing. He knew it would be over quickly. Most AI-augmented legal cases were. But everything feels slow when your future is on the line. He rehearsed his introduction a couple more times, forced a smile, and turned away.
He headed down towards the street to catch a cab, thinking it would be faster and more direct than the train. As he stepped out of the building foyer, he was met with the all too familiar background noise of people talking, shoes scraping along the sidewalk, and birds. It had been this way since the ban on petrol vehicles. The quiet was nice and calm, but somehow it missed the energy and exciting chaos that cities used to have.
As he walked towards the cab rank, a TAXAI pulled up alongside him, matching his pace. “Do you need a ride, sir?” the Alexa-styled voice called out as the vehicle rolled silently beside him. Michael kept walking, ignoring it. The vehicle initiated a sequence of door locks and unlocks “Click Click”, lowering a window slightly.
“Do you need a ride, sir? I can assist. I am a model V23Y TAXAI with the lowest carbon emissions rating and production ranking available. I can take you wherever you’d like, sir?”
“No thanks,” Michael said. “I’m getting the train today.” He didn’t like lying. His parents had taught him better. But these days, with AI sales agents everywhere, there was almost no other way to get them to leave you alone. Michael walked around the corner towards the train station, the TAXAI lingered for a moment, then suddenly pulled away, merging perfectly into a gap in the traffic, already scanning for its next passenger.
Michael spun around and retraced his steps to cross at the lights, where the human driven cabs were lined up. With the AI surveillance program now fully active, everyone was on their best behaviour. Jaywalking had become a quick revenue stream for the government. Facial recognition cameras had been enabled for years now. No one jaywalked anymore, no one did anything wrong anymore, well, almost.
It felt good to sink into the back seat of the cab. The driver was an older Aussie bloke, friendly enough but not overly talkative. He threw in the occasional comment as they moved through the city. Even these electric vehicles were mostly AI-enhanced now, but at least this felt a little more human. Michael liked knowing he was helping someone put food on the table. The global universal basic income system had stopped people from starving, but it kept most hovering just above the edge of desperate poverty.
They arrived too quickly. His stomach dropped as they pulled up in front of the Corporations Court of Australia. He really didn’t want to be here. Before getting out, the driver held up his payment device. Michael placed his thumb on the pad. Within seconds, the device scanned his retina, his face, and his thumbprint. “Do you approve this payment?” the device asked. “My voice is my password. I approve this payment.” Somewhere in the background, the transaction moved through a myriad of AI agents, analysed, verified, and approved before landing in the driver’s account. Everything was CBDCs now. Everything was checked and absolutely nothing went unaccounted for.
Michael walked towards the building entrance. There was no human security. There didn’t need to be. As he approached the glass turnstile, he was scanned from head to toe. It did facial recognition, gait analysis, organ EMF signatures and more, the door opened before he even slowed down. It’s all so easy now, he thought.
His name appeared on a screen above the foyer, an arrow pointing him towards the waiting room. Courtroom 303. For some reason, the number felt ominous, but he dismissed it as supersticion. He had arrived early, twenty minutes too early. Thankfully the screens offered some distractions, his anxiety was climing, it was hard not to stress about what was about to happen.
“Mr Michael Ann.” A court official stood in the doorway. He rose immediately. Here we go.
The courtroom was mostly empty. These days, proceedings were handled through a series of staged engagements. Information was gathered progressively, and decisions formed early. Only the final stages required people in the room. The judge sat behind the bench. Next to him sat the system, a large curved screen that was the AI augmented platform, it was able to provide real time guidance, determinations, information and scrutiny for the court proceedings. Since their implementation into the court system most court cases were expedited and achieved a much higher rate of successful convictions. They were an easy sell. It didn’t speak, but it was already scanning and listening.
“Mr Ann?” “Yes, Your Honour.” “Please confirm your full name and occupation.” “My name is Michael Ann. I’m a software developer and AI programmer for Liberty Capital Programs.” “Thank you.”
“Mr Ann, you’ve been asked to attend today to provide witness in the case against Liberty Capital Programs, where you have been employed for the past three years on an AI augmentation program. Is that correct?” “Yes, Your Honour.”
“It is understood that you worked on the AI system responsible for managing fund distribution for Saint Catherine’s Home for the Elderly. Is that also correct?” “Yes, Your Honour.”
“The charge brought forward is that the board of Liberty Capital Programs knowingly approved the design and implementation of an AI agent responsible for the distribution of funds to Saint Catherine’s. In its design, the agent was parameterised to identify cost efficiencies. Over time, it has exploited vague and undefined smart contract terms, significantly reducing payments intended for the care of the elderly. The result has been a measurable decline in the wellbeing of residents.”
The judge paused briefly.
“The court is here to determine whether this system was approved to operate within the spirit of the agreement, or to exploit it… and more importantly, what the board actually understood when they approved it.”
Michael stood still. This wasn’t about code anymore.
The agent didn’t break the rules. It followed them exactly. Just not in the way anyone expected.
(Human Written First – AI Editied Second)
