Crisis Point

As 2020 arrives, America is awash in a sea of seemingly contradictory realities. On the one hand, actual quotes and photographs seem to provide convincing evidence to refute wild claims based on fantasy.

On the other hand, photos can now be digitally altered so artfully that it's impossible to tell what's real from what's been doctored. Politicians routinely accuse even respected mainstream media outlets of peddling 'fake news.'

This results in an America where it's perfectly acceptable to say anything, no matter how seemingly deranged. When people make statements that seem to fly in the face of reality, they can just claim to be living in a 'different' reality.
Fake News, 2020s

  We're Addicted
Surely, people can be held accountable for the harm that results from their posts on the internet, however earnestly believed, or from spreading and amplifying those posts. Nope. Not in America, not today. It's nobody's fault if individuals act upon false information delivered to their news feed by computer algorithms simply seeking engagement. It's good for business.

AI and alternate reality, 2020s

  Brave New World
Pundits are falling all over themselves describing the potential benefit of 'artificial intelligence' (AI). The problem, however, is that AI isn't reliably 'intelligent.' Instead, it excels at finding words that have been used together in the past, suggesting a connection. When AI is asked a question, the response is often little more than a plausible (and grammatically correct) assembly of related words, extracted from other sources. Dialog with 'chat boxes' can also veer off into dodgy territory (lower right).


Blogs, Vlogs and influencers, 2020s

  Home Empires
One area where reality and fantasy blend seamlessly is the home-studio. Lone virtual innovators can set up a camera and turn their home-office into a blog or vlog (video blog) studio, sometimes with digital effects to add punch. This allows putting together a fandom empire of likes that amplify the impact, and (amazingly) drive the buying decisions of tens of thousands of people who are only connected through social media. Such 'influencers' can have an impact far beyond anything previously possible.