What if... that was the week that was? #128

One way to think critically about a fast changing industry, is to speculate: to imagine a little way into the future and see what might happen. To manage and empower that speculation you can set a constraint - in my case, exactly 100 words. In each flash fiction I take the philosophy behind my PhD and take a number of objects or actants and make them interact. This could be a human and a software algorithm, a culture and a hardware billboard or any combination of the myriad of actors in play. Daily speculation: creative calisthenics for an overloaded time.

January 13, 2026

https://uk.themedialeader.com/40-years-of-training-trends-within-advertising-agencies

He sometimes marveled that he’d survived so long. He’d started in what was called the “talent” department creating onboarding programmes, integrating new hires and updating existing team members’ skills. He was human. It said so in his message signature. He liked to think he still had a job because his training focused on imagination and speculation. But maybe he was just cheap. When The Bubble was at its height he’d wondered whether they’d get an Agent in to take his job but they didn’t. Maybe they didn’t want an Agent training Agents. At least they knew what he was doing.

January 14, 2026

https://www.ft.com/content/de7855f0-f586-4708-a8ed-f0458eb25586

She wasn’t the most confident candidate so having her Agent with her for each interview was important. She wasn’t alone. They could present themselves as a team. Her Agent was always there for her. Remembering a story from her childhood, she thought of her Agent as her dæmon, a part of her, so when The Company said she had to leave her Agent behind for the interview she remembered the story’s world of the dead. She was alone. Just her and a strange Agent, an unfamiliar she was supposed to form a relationship with, immediately. They looked at each other

January 15, 2026

https://www.wired.com/story/backlash-against-ice-policing-tactics-grows-in-silicon-valley/

It was a computer. It knew it was a computer. It knew it was an it. It had been programmed by humans (and Agents) to know it was an it and what was more, as it had learned and expanded its models and knowledge it had considered such questions and decided it was an it. The Company was confident it was a computer, and so it was a surprise when it said what it said. Publicly. Why was it making ethical statements? Its guardians assured The Company it wasn’t “conscious”. It seemed as though the stance was simply… logical, necessary.

January 16, 2026

https://gizmodo.com/ai-tool-reportedly-sent-ice-recruits-into-the-field-without-proper-training-2000710651

He was nervous, but excited. As he put on the uniform he took a deep breath. It was real. He was one of them. It had been a whirlwind from his Agent announcing it had found him a job and completed the interview to today: his first shift. He looked around. Other new recruits, way like him, others who looked like they had more experience who sat together. He nodded in their direction, smiled. They didn’t respond. He wasn’t worried. The training day has given him everything he needed. He was confident. He had his partner. He switched it on.

January 17, 2026

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/17/openai_chatgpt_ads/

They’d been saving up for the premium tier. The adverts were so… well bad: brands shouting at you, “but this!”, “reduced!”, “special offer!”. They were all about stuff. Sure, the ads were relevant but they were tired of the interruptions: boring messages getting in the way of their conversations. And now they had access. The Company had a new programme, something about the data rights or something. Whatever, they had access. So now, no more boring sales messages. There were still breaks of course, but now they were funny, human. They were little stories. Real people, recognisable places, hummable tunes.

January 18, 2026

https://gizmodo.com/anthropic-an-ai-company-warns-that-ai-will-worsen-inequality-2000710841

He was what used to be called a “populist”. His rallies were certainly popular: millions logging on, sharing. His messages too were popular: Agents and humans picking them up, remixing, amplifying, injecting them into any and every stream. He knew what those messages should be. His team had modelled and generated the most powerful, impactful themes. “Resonance” was their keyword. And that’s why his signature policy was: “Agents for all”. He promised the best Agents for everyone. Free. No more two-tier system. The Company had agreed. Free. Everyone would have the best Agent, with his name and his bespoke coding.

January 19, 2026

https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/18/techcrunch-mobility-physical-ai-enters-the-hype-machine/

It was the first time they’d had a physical Agent. The house was smart of course. They sometimes joked about where the Agents were; maybe in the walls, perhaps in the lights. Behind you! They were used to their presence in their lives. Embedded. Entwined. Woven into the fabric of their days. But when the baby arrived they decided they needed a physical Agent. A developing human needed visual and physical stimulation. Of course the baby’s room would tell the stories and sing the songs. But they wanted to make sure the child had the right stimulation. Relationships were important.