Some interesting research that found cognitive decline from using ChatGPT to aid writing - https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/

The Event itself could be that an AI was created to monitor other AI with the goal of acting in a way to protect the interests of humanity - it sees the degradation of human existence and decides to turn off the other AI and then itself. This plunges humans into a dark ages, but one through which they could excel and live again. ChatGPT and Gemini couldn't locate anyone using this idea previously (which seems unlikley cos it's a fairly obvious idea?). This approach may help put the whole piece on a more positive trajectory, but equally it could be rather naive and idealistic.

Maybe it would work better as a solo story?

I went through a bunch of ideas and initiated songs that I started on previous attempts at The Event, most of it was humblingly bad, but I did like this little thing. It could be used for a couple of the different substories actually. And crucially, as soon as I listened to it, I was moving in my seat and singing a little tune along to it.

I had this idea back in 2021, so here's a bunch of notes as a catch-up. Most of these will be ignored I think , but good to capture anyway:

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Characters

Sally

The regular person 1. Can't get to work 2. Trust the authorities 3. Let down

Antonio

The government official 1. What the hell is going on 2. We will survive 3. We won't survive

Shaun

The business person 1. It's all money 2. I'll be OK 3. I won't be OK

Leona

The wife of the super rich 1. I'm looking after my family 2. This is ok 3. This isn't OK

Wayne

The foot soldier 1. I'm desperate 2. We're in it together 3. We're very separate

Michael

The Expert 1. I'm well paid 2. I'm central 3. I don't exist

Reg

The prepper 1. I hate everyone 2. I was right 3. I'm totally lonely

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Settings (potentially cut scenes, intermediary points for exposition?)

Historian - setting the scene

A park - silence, nature

CB Radio - broadcasting into the abyss

News broadcast - remain calm

Podcast - dispassionate prediction

YouTuber - ranting lunacy

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My over arching concern here is that this whole theme is too cliche'd and obvious. 4 years ago when the idea first came to me it felt novel in a way that it doesn't now. I still like the idea of the character studies, but I need to find a way to move beyond the basic concept to something else. I need to let this take time. Continue to work on and expand ideas. Overall I should stick with this Seed though because the subject matter offers a great springboard for words, pictures and sound, whereas most ideas that come to me still only occupy once of those spaces.

And more importantly, the basic concern really resonates with me.

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There's a bunch of stuff on Substack which can form inspiration and source material:

1. CyberHermatica - https://thecyberhermetica.substack.com/

2. SonderUncertainty - https://sonderuncertainly.substack.com/

3. Hey Slick - https://heyslick.substack.com/

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The intro of this book is what initiated the project Seed, Douglas Rushkoff's Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires. Talks about The Mindset, where tech billionaires think and operate as if the human condition is something to be overcome and the threat of environmental collapse must be met through better capitalism, not less capitalism.

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4 different character studies of people caught up in The Event - a woman taking her kids to school, a security guard at a billionaire's compound, the billionaire's wife and the futurologist who's mind has been captured within a computer programme. Inspired by Douglas Rushkoff's recount of his invitation to meet with a group of billionaire's who wanted his expertise and insight re how to sruvive and thrive after "The Event".