The answer is matrimony and the Sanctity of Marriage Act has been designed to “help Britain build back better”. It offers lucrative financial benefits to those who marry — and remain so — and severely punishes those who don’t.
To implement this, the government has turned to AI to track, monitor and surveil the populace, and has asked influencers to be the face of its campaigns.
“When prompted by a researcher, AI wrote that its programs lack consciousness and self-awareness. That was in 2020. Even back then, AI was already warning us of its limitations. Yet it was still allowed to dictate the fate of human relationships,” says a speaker in the novel while at an anti-government meeting of the Freedom For All movement.
The book starts slowly, following five couples at various stages in their relationships by providing snippets of their daily lives. Eventually it morphs into a larger, satisfying narrative in which the characters come together, painting a picture of a plausible society years from now. There are twists and surprises and characters you’ll hate, mixed with moments of disbelief and sighs of relief.
As books set in the near future usually are, The Marriage Act is a thought experiment in what AI may look like, what its implications could be if the wrong people are tasked with regulating it, how social media can compound these ills and when it becomes acceptable to cross moral boundaries in the name of protecting — or freeing — society. It’s a work of fiction, the author says, that’s been inspired by facts, studies and statistics that are playing out today.
Essentially, it’s current and cuts to the heart of a question people the world over are asking: what’s the potential for this type of tech and what limits should we place on it? Marrs may not have the answer, but he does have some compelling ideas.
Click here to buy the book
Beware AI coming for your relationship
Set in the near future, 'The Marriage Act' unveils some compelling ideas about what AI could mean for society if a government laid claim to dangerous tech, writes Sanet Oberholzer
Image: R Gershinson
The Marriage Act
John Marrs, Macmillan
**** (4 stars)
It’s the near future in Britain. Classic movies come from the early 2000s, William is king, Echo Dots are relics which have been replaced by devices called Audites, and the ruling right-wing government believes marriage is the answer to its economic woes.
Single people, it argues, have caused a housing crisis and years of pandemics have decimated the public purse. Singles are also more likely to suffer from physical and mental health problems and be a drain on the NHS, while committed couples have a positive effect on GDP.
Image: Supplied
The answer is matrimony and the Sanctity of Marriage Act has been designed to “help Britain build back better”. It offers lucrative financial benefits to those who marry — and remain so — and severely punishes those who don’t.
To implement this, the government has turned to AI to track, monitor and surveil the populace, and has asked influencers to be the face of its campaigns.
“When prompted by a researcher, AI wrote that its programs lack consciousness and self-awareness. That was in 2020. Even back then, AI was already warning us of its limitations. Yet it was still allowed to dictate the fate of human relationships,” says a speaker in the novel while at an anti-government meeting of the Freedom For All movement.
The book starts slowly, following five couples at various stages in their relationships by providing snippets of their daily lives. Eventually it morphs into a larger, satisfying narrative in which the characters come together, painting a picture of a plausible society years from now. There are twists and surprises and characters you’ll hate, mixed with moments of disbelief and sighs of relief.
As books set in the near future usually are, The Marriage Act is a thought experiment in what AI may look like, what its implications could be if the wrong people are tasked with regulating it, how social media can compound these ills and when it becomes acceptable to cross moral boundaries in the name of protecting — or freeing — society. It’s a work of fiction, the author says, that’s been inspired by facts, studies and statistics that are playing out today.
Essentially, it’s current and cuts to the heart of a question people the world over are asking: what’s the potential for this type of tech and what limits should we place on it? Marrs may not have the answer, but he does have some compelling ideas.
Click here to buy the book
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