In a future that is hotter than today, people will satisfy their needs through tailored forms of intelligence. From automated security in supermarkets, to ever-learning, always-loving forms of artificial intelligence that can be effective and agreeable life partners. AI-driven spouse intelligence is increasingly valuable in a world where everything is a game. Real game.So We Feel Less Shy When the Phone Rings presents a world in which the differences depend on whether we are living beings or specially designed, whether we are physical beings or merely a controlled perception. It is a world in which power dynamics are ambiguous, and the doubts of ancient romanticism fade in the face of reliable engineering.But no society can be a complete winner. In this world, “scarcity value” dominates everything, and remaining completely natural is the only sure way to lose. Who benefits and who is disadvantaged is determined by strict rules, while goods are acquired through a constant game of bidding.
The goal of this society is to provide a thin veil behind chronic scarcity. The world is too hot to do anything else. Even the respectable and happy couple, as soon as they leave the game, find themselves addressing the bullets.
