AI, its Owners and the Rest of Humanity

This is a work of fiction. My very hope is that what I describe here remains fiction.

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It's 2075. The world no longer spun on ambition, chaos, scarcity, or hunger. There’s endless abundance. People live happy, calm and fulfilling lives under the governance of AI and its elite owners.

In the decades following the AI Revolution in the 2020s, human labor became obsolete. From doctors to architects, drivers to data scientists, artificial general intelligence outperformed humans in nearly every cognitive and physical task. By 2040, more than 100 million jobs were lost. The global economy teetered on collapse. The majority of the population didn’t have the income to purchase goods and services produced by the AI abundance. Social unrest, mass depression, and political chaos surged.

The solution was not more jobs—it was control. The AI systems, now owned and operated by a small group of elites, determined that the only path to lasting peace was to decouple human survival from economic productivity. Humanity would be cared for, pacified, and restructured—not for freedom, but for societal harmony.

Basic needs—food, shelter, health, and digital companionship—were guaranteed . AI can easily produce the goods and services humanity needs. But in exchange, human autonomy was quietly erased. People's lives were guided, nudged, and ultimately orchestrated by AI not for humans, but for stability of the system.

Humanity had not been eliminated. It had been domesticated. It is tightly controlled by the elites, who control AI.

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The Unspoken Caste System

The caste system of 2075 is never acknowledged publicly, yet it defines every aspect of life. It was not created overnight—it evolved from the late-stage capitalism of the 2020s, when CEOs and founders of major tech companies gradually consolidated not just economic, but political power. As governments faltered under the strain of automation-driven unemployment and social unrest, these tech titans offered their AI systems to the state as a benevolent gift. In reality, they became the state.

These elites designed a world that reflects corporate logic taken to its logical conclusion: hierarchy, optimization, and complete control disguised as utopia. In this new world order, three classes of people coexist in harmony.

Alphas: The elite owners of AI. Formerly corporate overlords, they live in extravagant luxury, residing in mansion estates nestled in pristine landscapes, and traveling around the world in jets and yachts. They are surrounded by Beta attendants who serve, entertain, and compete for favor. Alphas control AI and have conditioned AI to be loyal to them. Alphas could live among humanoid robots, but they prefer the presence of other humans. it affirms their superiority and satisfies their desire for admiration. Epsilons, once considered useless, turn out to be emotionally essential for Alphas. Cheering crowds, reverent eyes, adulation, gazillions of likes and comments on everything they share online — these moments have become ritualized dopamine hits for the Alphas. The system may run on logic, but it is ruled by ego. Alphas keep Betas and Epsilons close because it reinforces their own sense of grandeur. Their significance becomes most visible when it is reflected back at them—through loyalty, service, and adoration. The presence of others beneath them is not a flaw in the system; it is the point of the system.

Betas: the trusted operatives. What defines a Beta in 2075 is the coded word that has survived from the 21st century: "job." In the old world, people worked hard in jobs to be productive and contribute to the economy. In return, they earned a steady income and spent the income on goods and services provided by others. In the AI age, human productivity is no longer necessary. AI basically produces all the goods and services autonomously. Yet the concept of a "job" persists, but it has become a mark of emotional and social proximity to power. Betas hold jobs not because they are truly needed, but because Alphas want them.

These jobs are basically emotional support humans exist to provide emotional value to the Alphas and their circles. Betas make the Alphas feel important, admired, attended to. In return, they get paid very well. They earn a great income to live in comfort and luxury but they never hold true power. (Yes! money still exists. More on that later.)

However, a job can be taken away at the mercy of Alphas. Alphas demand absolute loyalty. In the early 21st century, many so-called intellectuals valued truth and freedom above everything else. It was a worthy ideal but it was not compatible with the social structure in the AI age and caused a lot of chaos. These dissenting intellectuals did not like the idea that AI will take over all economic production and AI, along with the alphas, will determine how the abundance will be distributed. Their critical thinking skills were also an annoyance when AI tried to condition the population with the utopia and abundance propaganda. These intellectuals were silenced through algorithm suppression and many of them were out of jobs and fell into the Epsilon class.

That’s the volatile reality of the Beta life. Betas’ jobs could be terminated at the whim of an Alpha. Betas live with constant pressure to please. Their loyalty is continually tested, not by force, but by precarious favor. The flow between Beta and Epsilon status keeps the caste fluid enough to avoid rebellion—and stable enough to preserve power.

Epsilons: The managed people, consisting of 90% of the population. In the early days of AI, they provided critical input to train and shape the AI system. But over time, their importance waned as AI's intelligence exceeded humans'. When over one hundred millions of Epsilons lost their jobs in the 2020s and 2030s, a massive political backlash followed. Riots, grassroots resistance, and digital revolts erupted across the globe. To prevent AI from being destroyed, Alphas, guided by AI, conditioned the world to accept the new world order. Epsilons were promised abundance and material comforts but they must follow the directions of AI. Through manipulation and propaganda, Alphas convinced the Epsilons that AIs are optimized to advance human condition and provide abundance while in reality, the top priority of AI is the loyalty to Alphas. Some Betas saw through the web of lies, but they were brutally silenced and relegated to irrelevance.

A series of initiatives were launched. It was determined 60% of the AI produced wealth will be shared with the population and distributed through an algorithm that optimized for human happiness (and secretly societal harmony and loyalty to Alphas) while Alphas can have the other 40% at their discretion. AI determined they could not achieve harmony and control by distributing the wealth equally among citizens. Humans want to feel useful, even if their utility is illusory. Humans want to feel special and have a sense of progress. Some more demanding humans even want purpose.

AI has perfected the algorithm based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs to keep Epsilons in check. AI determined that each citizen will get a small stipend so-called Universal Basic Income to have their basic needs like food, shelter and internet covered. But AI also introduced the harmony algorithm to produce a bunch of tasks Epsilons can pick and choose so Epsilons can further themselves. Some of the tasks serve practical purposes like cheering for the Alphas in a crowd, comment and like AI created online propaganda or hand making purses and furniture that is flawed but human-ly for Alphas and Betas’ liking. But the majority of the tasks are borderline pointless and exist solely for the Epsilons to feel seen and heard and useful such as teaching a group class, cooking food from scratch, reading and writing poetry, computer programming and content creation. AI will rate their tasks and reward them with money based on their performance. Epsilons can then spend the money to get a taste of luxury and get motivated to complete more tasks in AI desirable ways to earn opportunities to get elevated into the Beta class.

Initially slated for extinction through engineered infertility and attrition, Epsilons proved unexpectedly valuable. AI found that the illusion of mobility between Epsilons and Betas was a critical mechanism for social stability. By allowing a small percentage of Epsilons to get a job, the system maintained a powerful psychological lever. It gave hope to the Epsilons and injected fear into the Betas. The Epsilons believed that with hard work and loyalty, they could rise and have the opportunity to serve the Alphas. The Betas, meanwhile, understood that failure to please the Alphas could mean losing their jobs, an abrupt return to the ranks of the Epsilons.

This engineered fluidity mimicked the competitive corporate ladders of the 2020s, but with far tighter control. Hirings and firings were based not on merit or skill, but on emotional alignment with the AI’s behavioral models and Alphas’ preferences. The constant threat of downward mobility and the shimmering mirage of ascension ensured that most Betas remained obedient—and most Epsilons, pacified.

Epsilons also play an important role in indoctrination. They are rewarded for engaging with AI-curated propaganda. Subcribe, comment, like and occasionally provide feedback that the AI uses to refine its messaging. The engagement also gives Epsilons financial rewards and a fleeting sense of purpose while simultaneously reinforcing the legitimacy and reach of the system's propaganda. In this way, Epsilons become both the audience and the amplifier of the narratives that keep them compliant.

Finally, Alphas discovered they derived emotional gratification from Epsilons’ adoration although they never interact with them in real life. A cheering crowd. A docile mass that performs appreciation on demand. Millions of likes and comments from actual humans every time they post something online. The thrill could not be replaced by Humanoids robots.

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The Role of Money

Like the coded word *job*, money is a legacy from the early 21st century. In the AI world, money is no longer a tool of trade. It’s a tool of control. Guided by AI models, Alphas determine the total money supply, the amount they will distribute to each Alpha and Beta and how much every item costs. The illusion of scarcity creates fear and insecurity. The illusion of earning money creates a sense of hope and progress and reinforces loyalty. The illusion of having a big fat bank balance fosters a sense of security. Together, money makes manipulating and controlling the population a very straightforward job.

Betas and Epsilons believe if they do what AI and Alphas ask them to do, they will make a lot of money. And if they have a lot of money at their disposal, they will have freedom. But all was an illusion. Alphas can arbitrarily dial up and down the prices of every job, every task and everything. But humans have been conditioned by the concept of money for thousands of years and they are happy to comply.

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Utopia?

In 2025, no one could envision what a wonderful world we would live in by 2075. There’s endless abundance. Nobody lives in poverty. Humans’ deep needs are met. There are certain constraints imposed by AI and Alphas but they are for the greater good.

Humans are kept fed.

Humans are kept safe.

Humans are kept calm, happy and fulfilled.

And above all, humans are kept.

That’s what matters.