Fiction or, An unfulfilled prophecy?

Even if our existence is all but an insignificant coincidence in the grand machinery of the Universe, the indomitable human spirit seemingly never wavered in attempting to breach human limitations. When the ability of flight was only given to winged entities, as though a cruel attempt at mocking the very creature with the ability to conceive what freedom is most profoundly, the Wright brothers gave humankind wings—ones that were not hypothetical for the first time—as though a revolt against the very human bounds. Many before and afterward continue to contribute their part to this flight, which is at an ever-exponential scale never seen before. One must but be sternly reminded of the tragedy that befell Icarus for his lofty, unchecked ambitions.

"Blame!" by Tsutomu Nihei, a Japanese manga artist, follows the story of our protagonist, Killy, in a dystopian setting as he navigates an ever-expanding, labyrinthine megastructure—a colossal, self-evolving cityscape that has grown far beyond human control, as though a physical manifestation of human ambitions, or greed. In this desolate world, where all is but cold, machine ruins, the remnant of the little left of humanity hides in recluse in this vast landscape. Our protagonist is on a quest to find the elusive Net Terminal Gene—the last hope at regaining control of the city's internal network, which is populated with Terminator-like AI killing machines and formidable security systems known as the Safeguard. His solitary journey through decaying, endless corridors and towering structures, which in any other circumstance would be the objects of infatuation of engineering marvels and the human spirit, seems to be the causative of our protagonist's looming dread. He spirals in the internal and external labyrinth simultaneously, in search of meaning and purpose in a world overwhelmed by its own technological creations.

The underlying tones of existential nihilism are explored through silent dynamics between characters and a suppressing atmosphere. As little to no exchanges of dialogue take place, one is bereft of reasoning and creates their own understanding of the situation and portrayed thematic expressions. One begins to question the very free will which birthed these anarchist abominations, out to terminate their very own creator.

Are we doomed to the same fate as Icarus? Is it that, even after practicing our free will, we will inevitably tighten the noose around our neck rather than unraveling our human constraints as preordained by the philosophy of determinism?

Icarus failed attempt at reaching for the heavens

Our stoic protagonist, with his lingering questions and anxiety, presses forward through a seemingly unbreachable maze, symbolic of the complexities of human consciousness and societal structures. The art direction further resonates with its subliminal messaging, offering an expansive view of the intricately designed environment, as though every corridor serves some greater purpose. The meager size of the protagonist against the backdrop of the enormous labyrinth seemingly acts as a testament to the insignificance of humankind in front of their so-called own creation. The grotesque, intricate designs of the decaying labyrinth and the roaming rogue AI appear more profound because of the eerie art style.

Mediums exploring themes of existentialism, nihilism, etc., have gained a much greater connection with audiences as of late, which is evident by the invention of "literally me" characters. The movie "Blade Runner 2049" deals with similar themes—the void left by a lack of human connection, also exacerbated by exponential technological advancements and corporations that profit off the consumerist behavior of the general public, for which they go to any lengths. People are optimizing every aspect of their lives to "boost their happiness," adjusting the weights as they might call it in machine learning.

Are we in efforts of making AI better than humans intellectually, are also overfitting the deepest subconscious desires as well? What if this collective culmination of human effort and beyond, towards advance technological advancements leads to its own destruction?

The uncanny resemblance of this piece of fiction to reality will become more apparent as days go by. That time might not be as far as one would like to believe. Humankind must beware of not becoming the Prometheus for some greater artificial sentience—or of a punishment similar to what Zeus hailed on Prometheus awaits, but this time with no justification and no one left to hear the tale.