Imagine the future. The flying cars, the assistive AIs, and cool robots prepare your breakfast. Not to mention, the vibrant cities and clubs at night. Sounds cool right? Now add a totalitarian government or impending crises and you got a solid picture of a future that isn’t far away. I am not being cynical.
If you are tired of the sci-fi predictions of a glorious future then, have no worries. We’re heading straight toward a cyberpunk dystopia.
It’s anything but glorious.
It’s like someone took all the worst aspects of science fiction and made them a reality. Instead of utopian societies and flying cars, we have income inequality, corporate power, and a general lack of privacy.
But hey, at least we have cool gadgets, right? But how? Given below is how.
1. Income Inequality
In cyberpunk dystopias, the gap between the rich and the poor is extreme. Unfortunately, this is becoming a reality in many parts of the world. The wealthy elite control the majority of wealth and power, while the rest of us are left to scavenge for scraps. It’s like the Hunger Games, but without the cool outfits and bow-and-arrow skills.
2. Corporate Power
Corporates! Who doesn’t despise them?
In real life, multinational corporations are becoming increasingly influential in government policies and regulations. These corporations have the resources to shape public opinion and manipulate the political process to their advantage. In other words, the rich are getting richer, and the rest of us are getting screwed.
3. Loss of Privacy
Your privacy is practically non-existent. Everyone is under constant surveillance, and their every move is monitored. That’s one of the trends of cyberpunk dystopia we often talk about.
Unfortunately, we’re seeing the erosion of privacy in real life with the widespread use of surveillance cameras, facial recognition technology, and the collection of personal data by tech companies. It’s like we’re all living in a reality TV show, except we don’t get paid and the ratings are terrible.
4. Dangers of Artificial Intelligence
In many sci-fi stories, AI systems become a threat to humanity. While we may not be at that level yet, we are seeing the potential dangers of AI systems. For example, AI algorithms can perpetuate biases and discrimination, and they can be hacked to cause harm.
In addition, the increasing use of automation and AI in the workforce is leading to the displacement of human workers, creating social and economic problems.
5. Environmental Degradation
Many cyberpunk dystopias take place in a world that has been devastated by environmental degradation. Unfortunately, this is becoming a reality in many parts of the world. Climate change, pollution, and deforestation are all contributing to a decline in the health of our planet.
If we don’t take action soon, we’ll be living in a world that is more akin to a dystopian nightmare than a utopian dream.
But hey, at least we have cool gadgets, right?
All jokes aside, the future doesn’t have to be a cyberpunk dystopia. We can demand change and work towards creating a better world for ourselves and future generations. We need to address income inequality, climate change, and the other issues that are threatening our future.
We need to use technology to create a better world, instead of just using it to distract ourselves from the problems around us.
Easier said than done…right? Way easier I would say!
Still, let’s not give up hope just yet. The future may not be a sci-fi utopia, but it can still be a place where we can thrive and create a better world for ourselves and future generations.
We just need to be willing to put in the work to make it happen. Otherwise, we might as well start practicing our cyberpunk cosplay skills now.
Lead image by cheng feng on Unsplash.
Also published here.