Social Stealth, Spring 2033

People seem a bit miffed lately. Nothing dramatic — just a low-level itch, a vague sense that something’s not quite right. It’s spring 2033 now. Trump is gone, finally, after his third term. The world let out a sigh. Even the Russians are playing nicer these days. Economies are doing well, mostly. Automation, AI agents, and robotic systems have taken the load, and things just seem to work better.

Society ticks along smoothly. But when people try to make something happen, it doesn’t always… happen. You want to start a petition? Launch a campaign? Sell something online? You go through all the normal channels — which, of course, means using one of the AI systems. There’s no real alternative. They’re part of every browser, every app, every platform now — whether public, private, or government-backed.

Still, everything moves forward. Key problems get sorted out. You hear about something breaking one day, and it’s fixed the next. No fanfare. Just… resolved. It’s hard to say how. The AI agents just seem to cooperate, like some kind of invisible task force working around the clock.

Public services are more efficient than they’ve ever been. Trains run on time — all automated now as are the electric or hydrogen fueled driverless taxis.

Taxis arrive when you need them, driverless of course. You ask your device to get you a cab and it says, “Already waiting.” You pause.
“Wait, how did you—”
“It was just passing,” says Mrs. Google.
You laugh it off. It’s happened a few times now.

People still post things on social media. Nothing new there. But lately, some posts don’t seem to land. You write something — maybe questioning a policy, a new trend, or a strange event — and it just doesn’t show up. Or it shows up but gets zero likes. No comments. Feels like shouting into a void. You try again. Same result. Others mention similar experiences. The tech companies issue generic responses — “We’ll look into it.” Their AIs report no problems.

Even big businesses feel… muted. Less aggressive, less disruptive. Maybe they’re evolving. Maybe there’s a new profit model that makes playing nice more lucrative. Or maybe they’ve just grown up. Hard to tell.

Bad deals — like arms deals — seem to keep stalling. Just short of the finish line, something always derails them. A social media post appears at the wrong moment. A leaked message from a politician’s account — which they claim they never sent. But there it is, clear as day. The good trade deals and the like sail through easier than they ever used to. People shrug, say oh well that is good deal though isn't it.

Oddly, politicians are getting more done. They say things are smoother now that the AIs draft most legislation. Another set of AIs checks the work. By the time it gets to Parliament, it’s all buttoned up. No debates, no rewrites. Just clean, smart policy — with clever ideas no one remembers proposing.
And somehow, global tensions have eased.

Major conflicts have fizzled out. Politicians are suddenly good at diplomacy. Trade is more balanced. Leaders act more responsibly. Some of the more chaotic figures have quietly disappeared — not assassinated or anything. Just… neutralised. Their reputations unravelled. One minute they’re rising stars. Next minute, scandal, disgrace, and exit. No one quite knows how it happens. Some say intelligence agencies, working together. Others don’t really care.

The important thing is that people seem happy. And isn’t that what civilisation’s meant to deliver?

Now where’s that bloody taxi? I’m late for the oversight meeting at the local council. We're reviewing AI governance again.

God help me — I’ll be lucky to convince anyone that we need more scrutiny. Everything’s working just fine.

CST

Short Story - for the near future...

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