Surveillance pervades every nook, opponents of the status quo Face imprisonment, and sustenance comes in the form of insect petroleum:
In the heart of Zurich, 2048, resides Mike, a former IT specialist, who now finds himself in a drastically different life following a demotion.
Living in the bustling city, Mike's life took a turn for the unexpected when his social credit score, a system that rates individuals based on various behavioural, financial, and social indicators, dropped from a 3 to a 2. As a result, he is no longer permitted to work with computers.
In a written account, Mike describes the changes in his life, detailing how his reduced score has affected his opportunities and daily life. The social credit system, designed to encourage conformity and promote a more ordered society, has left Mike struggling to secure housing, employment, loans, or even social services.
The social credit environment often creates an atmosphere of distrust and can lead to increased social pressure to conform. Lower scores, like Mike's, can reduce one's autonomy and freedoms, while higher scores may enhance social standing and privileges.
Ethical concerns regarding privacy, justice, and the balance between societal order and individual rights also arise when implementing such a system. The design and governance of the social credit system play a crucial role in determining whether an individual like Mike benefits or suffers from its use.
While specific details about Mike in Zurich in 2048 do not appear in the search results, social credit systems, in general, can have a profound impact on an individual's social, economic, and civic life through a quantifiable score that influences access and inclusion in society.
In a surprising turn of events, Mike has taken up a new job in a small barbershop in the Enge district of Zurich, away from the world of computers he once knew. Whether this change will lead to a new beginning or continued struggles remains to be seen.
In this new era of his life, Mike, once an IT specialist, finds solace in exploring the realms of science and technology, trying to understand the intricate workings of the social credit system that impacted his life. His days are filled with studying and attempting to create a counter-system, one that might promote equality and individual rights rather than conformity.
The social credit system, previously seen as a tool for order, has indirectly sparked an unexpected interest in Mike for technology, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence and data privacy, as he hopes to find solutions to the ethical concerns the system presents.
