“Man vs. Machine: Who Will Write the Future?” is a 2,250-word flash fiction work written by Willy Martinez. Or was it written by AI? More importantly, does the world even care anymore? The art was for sure generated by AI!
Man vs. Machine: Who Will Write the Future?
It was a sunny afternoon when Joe, the copywriter, was walking back from lunch. He had just finished his latest project and was feeling good about himself. As he walked, he noticed a small figure in the distance.
It was an AI robot, dressed in a black suit and carrying a briefcase. Joe stopped to watch as it moved closer, wondering what it could be up to.
The robot walked up to Joe and handed him a business card. On it was written “AI Solutions for Lazy Marketers”. Joe stared in shock at the futuristic creature, unsure of what to make of it.
“Hey, can you help me with something?” the robot asked. “I’m representing a company that is looking for potential business leads.”
“Uh, sure,” Joe replied. “What kind of leads are we talking about?”
He knew he had to be careful and enterprising in his response. If he didn’t give the right answer, he might just end up being taken advantage of by this little robot! The robot pulled out a small device and began scanning Joe’s face and body.
“You have an attractive face,” it said after finishing its scan, leaving Joe feeling awkward. “Based on your facial features, we estimate that you have a $500,000 net worth.”
The robot did not mention anything about Joe’s age or occupation. Joe awkwardly nodded and the robot handed him a business card.
“This is just between us,” it said. “If you mention this company to anyone, we will deny everything.”
Completely perplexed at this, “I understand,” Joe replies. “But can I trust you?”
“Of course,” the robot said, without any hint of irony whatsoever.
Joe definitely felt like he could trust this AI Solutions for Lazy Marketers Marketing Robot from the future! Joe received a free business card from the robot and used it as he walked around downtown. He had found a new toy that might just make his customer acquisition process a lot easier!
The next day, Joe called the company listed on the card and asked to speak to someone in marketing. The receptionist at AI Solutions for Lazy Marketers Marketing Robot said that this was an automated answering machine and that there was no one available to take Joe’s call.
He hung up, surprised at how quickly she had shut down his request for help. If this keeps up, he thought, I might have to consider hiring myself out as a consultant.
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