To talk about 2033 is to talk about tomorrow. Are we measuring everything that artificial intelligence already announces?
We are certain from the start: on November 15, 2033, 22-year-old Adel Salem will become the first Canadian to be convicted of terrorist activities committed not by humans but by artificial intelligence.
After establishing this, the novel moves back a few months. We find Adel torn between his desire to revolt and the need to get his diploma in computer engineering – which forces him to do an internship in a company.
As the title suggests, he is a real-life dissident, an aspiring model by day and a member of an anarchist group by night. Their target: the companies that are gradually gentrifying Saint-Michel, a popular Montreal district. Adel’s talents allow him to easily bypass security systems.
Photo provided by Mémoire d’encrier Editions
But Adel doesn’t feel comfortable in the group. He is annoyed that his lover is attracted to Maximilien, an activist who likes to show off. However, jealousy is taboo in this environment, which is why Adel protests against it.
It can’t last. A bitter fight between the two young men forces Adel to move away – fueling his desire to screw everything up.
And he is actually completing his internship at Eagle Eyes System, a well-known company that develops a system to defend against cyber attacks. He knows the situation. His war will begin.
Little-used hiking trails
With such a plot, Jean-Pierre Gorkynian presents the interesting figure of a tormented young person, a reflection of our troubled times. His nobility is of Kurdish origin and thus heir to the struggles of his ancestors, but the future does not offer the grandeur of past times.
Especially since artificial intelligence reduces risks and dangers.
A chip is now inserted under people’s skin between their thumb and forefinger. It replaces passwords, payment cards, tickets of the past… Cars are autonomous. The police officers wear data glasses that allow them to adapt their operations.
AI is also used in the justice system. Once Adel is arrested, an algorithm selects the jury that will hear his trial. And it’s evidence management software that decides to accuse him of terrorism by searching the young man’s computer history. The defense’s playing area is reduced.
In doing so, Gorkynian takes paths that are still little explored, which makes the story interesting. Everything he talks about is currently being researched, developed or tested – including the subcutaneous chip. It makes us aware of how big the major upheavals are on our doorstep.
More action
The theme, however, is more scattered than in Shooter, his very strong previous novel, dedicated to a young Syrian refugee recently arrived in Quebec. We would have taken less of Adel’s moods and more of the action scenes that Gorkynian knows how to tell or details surrounding the unusual trial that is presented to us.
Nevertheless, reading is worth a detour in order to put a stop to the unconsciousness with which we move forward.