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technological-deception
The AI Cyclops is revealed to be a fraudulent construct, using tricks like dry ice and repeated light patterns to simulate activity and maintain control over the populace.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Postman (1985)David Brin
11. CORVALLIS
In this chapter, Gordon urgently travels to Corvallis to investigate the truth behind the so-called 'Millennium Project' and the AI known as Cyclops. He discovers that the revered AI is actually a sham maintained by a group of elites who manipulate the local population through deception and hoarded technology. The chapter reveals the tension between idealism and pragmatism, as well as the exploitation underlying the apparent prosperity in the region.