This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Justin Johnson
The Technical Experiment
As developers, we often debate AI’s impact on our profession in abstract terms. Will GitHub Copilot replace us? Is ChatGPT making juniors obsolete? Instead of another technical analysis, I tried something different: I used AI to write speculative fiction about our augmented future.
The result? “The Shadow of Superintelligence: Liberation or a Velvet Cage?” A story that explores Meta’s vision of “personal superintelligence” through the eyes of Sarah, a marketer whose AR glasses give her superhuman abilities while her non-augmented colleagues mysteriously vanish.
The Tech Stack for Fiction
Writing Assistant: Claude (Anthropic)
Image Generation: Krea.ai
Story Structure: Three-act narrative with a twist ending
Research Integration: Real Reddit threads from developer communities
Version Control: Iterative prompting with context preservation
The Development Process
1. Initial Architecture
Story Structure {
protagonist: "Sarah - developer turned marketer"
setting: "2028 - Post personal AI revolution"
conflict: "Augmentation vs human agency"
technical_elements: [
"Self-modifying algorithms",
"Closed-source AI systems",
"Neural-interface AR",
"Blockchain data vaults"
]
}
2. Pair Programming with AI
Working with AI on creative projects is surprisingly similar to pair programming:
// Human provides the high-level design
const storyOutline = {
theme: "surveillance as protection",
tone: "cyberpunk thriller",
technicalAccuracy: "plausible near-future"
};
// AI helps implement the details
const generateScene = (outline) => {
return AI.expand(outline, {
consistency: true,
worldBuilding: true,
characterDevelopment: true
});
};
3. Debugging the Narrative
Just like code, stories need debugging. AI helped identify:
- Plot holes (logic errors)
- Inconsistent character behavior (state management issues)
- Pacing problems (performance optimization)
- Technical inaccuracies (type errors)
Technical Themes Explored
The Halting Problem Applied to Self-Improving AI
def ai_improvement_loop(model):
while True:
model = model.improve_self()
# When does this stop? Can we predict the output?
# Sarah glimpses this infinite loop in the story
Data Sovereignty in Neural Interfaces
The story explores a critical question: When AI needs access to your neural patterns to function, who owns that data? Meta’s solution in the fiction: local blockchain encryption. But you’re still locked into their ecosystem to access it.
The Vendor Lock-in of Human Augmentation
interface HumanAugmentation {
provider: 'Meta' | 'Google' | 'Apple';
capabilities: EnhancedAbility[];
dependencies: SystemRequirement[];
migrationPath: null; // <-- The real horror
}
Key Technical Insights from Writing Fiction
Recursive Improvement: Using AI to write about AI created an interesting feedback loop. The tool helped me explore its own implications.
Black Box Irony: I couldn’t fully understand how my AI assistant was helping me write about… not understanding AI systems. Meta much?
The Documentation Problem: How do you document self-modifying code? The story’s glitching AI scene came from this real technical challenge.
Security Through Obscurity: The twist reveals Meta’s closed ecosystem as protection against worse actors. Technically dubious, narratively compelling.
Lessons for Developers
1. AI as a Creative Tool
Just as Copilot doesn’t replace understanding code, AI doesn’t replace creativity. It amplifies it. My process:
- Human: High-level design and direction
- AI: Implementation details and consistency
- Human: Quality control and vision
2. New Skill Sets
The future might not be “AI replacing developers” but “developers who can orchestrate AI.” This project taught me:
- Prompt engineering as a design pattern
- Context management across iterations
- AI debugging (when output isn’t what you expect)
3. Ethical Implementation
Writing this fiction highlighted real concerns:
- How do we audit self-modifying systems?
- What happens when human capability depends on proprietary AI?
- Can security and transparency coexist in AI systems?
The Code Behind the Story
For fellow developers interested in the technical process, here’s a simplified version of my workflow:
class StoryGenerator {
constructor(ai, themes, style) {
this.ai = ai;
this.themes = themes;
this.style = style;
this.context = [];
}
async generateChapter(outline) {
const prompt = this.buildPrompt(outline);
const response = await this.ai.complete(prompt);
// Maintain narrative consistency
this.context.push({
chapter: outline.chapter,
keyEvents: this.extractEvents(response),
characterState: this.trackCharacters(response)
});
return this.polish(response);
}
buildPrompt(outline) {
return {
role: "creative writing assistant",
context: this.context,
instruction: outline,
style: this.style,
constraints: ["technical accuracy", "narrative consistency"]
};
}
}
Try It Yourself
Want to experiment with AI-assisted creative work? Here’s a starter template:
## Project: AI-Assisted Story About [Technical Topic]
### Setup
1. Choose your AI assistant (Claude, GPT-4, etc.)
2. Define your technical premise
3. Create character profiles with technical backgrounds
4. Outline 3-5 key scenes that explore technical concepts
### Prompting Strategy
- Start with world-building
- Maintain consistent technical rules
- Use AI for brainstorming and prose
- You control pacing and structure
### Debugging Process
- Read each scene for technical accuracy
- Check character consistency
- Verify the tech makes sense
- Ensure narrative flow
The Meta Question
Is using AI to write about AI dangers just techno-navel-gazing? Maybe. But it’s also a unique way to explore these systems’ implications. We debug code by running it. Perhaps we can debug our AI future by simulating it in fiction.
What’s Next?
I’m considering open-sourcing a framework for AI-assisted fiction writing specifically for technical topics. Would anyone be interested in collaborating? The goal: make it easier for developers to explore technical concepts through narrative.
Read the full story: The Shadow of Superintelligence: Liberation or a Velvet Cage?
Discussion Questions
- Have you used AI for creative projects? What was your experience?
- What technical aspects of the story seem plausible/implausible for 2028?
- How do you think AI pair programming will evolve beyond code?
- What safeguards should exist for self-modifying AI systems?
Drop your thoughts below, or better yet, try writing your own AI-assisted fiction about a technical concept you’re passionate about. Share your results!
About the Author: I’m a developer exploring the intersection of AI and creativity. This was my first fiction project, and I learned more about AI’s implications by writing with it than from any technical paper.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Justin Johnson