My honest reaction looking at the future
Yep, you read the title right.
Our digital future are FKED.
But, can we fix it? Well, it depends on what our society gonna do.
Before we start on fighting. We need to map what problems we encounter.
To be fair, it is hard to really map it. But, I will try to divide it into 5 main problems (each problem has their own depths into it). These problems are listed from the worst one to bad (yes, there are no not so bad) problems.
Let's start.
1. The AI Labs Narratives / Propaganda
The first problem I listed here are any stories pushed by AI Labs or their ex-employees.
Why do I list it at the first place? Simple, because they are the main beauty of current media. News will talk anything about it. The AI Labs will squeeze these moments to keep them stay afloat and keep those money from investors.
The second one, is because the push to kill open weighs/open source models. By trying to regulate it, and brand them as good guys. Even though they were used in military to kill people
Alright, their current agenda now are pushing their irresponsibility of AI Agent hacks and say it's a 'alignment' problem, rather than what is real: CYBER SECURITY.
And also framing of open models as BAD because they have the same capabilities as their best models and has not so strict safe-guards.
The stories and things vomitted by these labs will continue. As long as the bubble still expanding, so we need to be ready to differentiate what is true AND combat any propaganda made by them
If you want to learn more about these topics, you can follow these YT channels:
2. The Unaffordability of Hardwares
Now, the 2nd place problem. I put this problem at the second place, because this is a fundamental problem. In tech, everything run starting from the hardware. If every hardware become expensive, tech supply chain are FKED.
The hardware CEOs said "Consumer should just gulp with the reality, it will never going down". Well, the price skyrocket because some assholes (AI Labs) hoarding most of the supply chain, not because of some natural causes.
A reminder, DRAM does price fixing in 2002 and got sued. They are also sued in 2026 for anti-competitivenes allegation (well obviously they did that), but there are no updates regarding this lawsuit. Now, not only RAM... SSDs, Motherboards, Graphic Cards are also following the trend. This means, your phone, your Laptop, your computer parts, are no longer cheap. Which is insanity!
What is their aim? Simple, you RENT your own computer to the cloud. Bezos said about this in January 2026 this is the escape option when the AI bubble burst. Imagine you need to subscribe just to use your computer, hell nah!
To further your horizon regarding this problem, I highly recommend watch videos by GamersNexus:
3. The Push of Digital Verification and any Anti-Privacy Laws
Honestly, I want to add this problem at number 1. But, the problems above are more critical and fundamental.
To make it worst, everyone are being an asshole.
Your own OS doing too many tracking, like the case of GDID.
Your own favourite app complying with age verification laws that forced by lawmakers around the world in the name of protecting children.
You might already see the Discord reply on age assurance complain, "when you launch an extremely popular age assurance update". Nobody wants to be age verified you dingus. The response of that cringe tweet by torturing Wumpus is well deserved.
Well, the sources of these verifications also not only from lawmakers to get in chance of mass surveillance. But, the companies itself wants to profile you so they get more profit through ads.
Not to mention, the ID Verification company itself are so malicious and unreliable. Just look up the Persona drama, where privacy researchers found a possible surveillance network under the hood of their infrastructure. And to mention just last month, IDScan (an ID verification vendor) breached and exposed 150 million+ driver license cards.
Aside from ID verification, the government and companies also now demanding to ban circumvention tools. India managed to force apple ban BitChat from its app store. Also, LaLiga wants to list VPNs to piracy watch list.
I haven't mentioned about you are now must show your ID and pay 25$ to post your game on Google's Play Store. And, giving your ID 'just' to get access to the most frontier AI models in the name of safety, yet after you pay, you were restricted to do anything cyber related. Felt like a scam isn't it?
To put it simply, it's never about protecting kids and safety. You are the product and the slaves to be monitored.
Note: I am aware about must give ID to play certain games on Steam and LoL (League of Legends), but too tired to talk about it, the sh*t list are too many!
Additional resources:
4. The Killing of Ownership (You will own Nothing and the Oligarchs will be Happy)
Sigh, look at that face, he is so happy for real.
"You will own nothing and you will be happy", is a quote being shown in WEF (World Economic Oligarch, sorry I mean Forum) in 2016. That's a phrase, to be honest something so absurd, and WTF?!
The aim is simple, you no longer own anything. You will pay in term of subscriptions, you need to obey on company policy. Not, the company obey to your demand. You break their rules? Bye, your purchased items are gone forever.
This problem also ties to the right to repair. Which, is make sense, when you own it, and it's broken, just go fix it. But, no-no, if you break it, you must buy a new one.
It also ties to problem number 2. Now, it is accelerated by proposed laws, software and hardware become so expensives, and built-in guardrails. Even the regulation are now trying to destroy it. See [Kids Act threatening Stop Killing Games] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQRcK9nYg9g)
If you don't think this is insane, please for the love of God. Check your brain to nearby doctors.
Further read:
5. The Push of Mass Surveillance
Now, we are on the final list, I put this one on the bottom. Since, many ordinary people already aware about the danger of these surveillance tools. And, it already yielded some results!.
But, the fight still goes on. Abuse of surveillance tools usage by some law enforcements are still there. The other type of cameras that are not Flock, the demand of scanning all of your messages, the demand to ban E2EE (End-to-End Encryption) in the name of safety and saving kids. And so on.
Further reading
Is there a universal solution? No, But...
By banding together and focus ourselves on each problems. It might be yield some results.
A reminder, each of these issues have their own individual depth of fights, or even it is adjacent to each other.
Whatever ways you fight it, please don't overwhelm yourself.
Good luck and stay safe!
~The Arcane
Late credit: Carricature at number 5 are created by Pedro Molina.