Federico Divino

THE DARK DREAMS OF DROWSING HUMANITY

a short story

In 2015, following a university seminar on Digital Humanities, I was tasked with producing a short
story in English with Digital Humanities as its theme and presented using digital tools as part of an
English literature course. To my surprise, I received full marks for the story, and my teacher
expressed enthusiasm for it. At the time, I did not fully comprehend the implications of the story, as
I wrote it in a week and thought it was amusing. The story centers around a psychotherapy session
where it is revealed that both the patient and therapist are AI. However, given the ongoing concerns
around job displacement and the increasing sophistication of AI, the story has taken on a new
relevance. Will there ever be a time when AIs themselves require therapy? The story and its
implications invite further reflection.

The Dark Dream of Drowsing Humanity

Martin stepped into the studio, taking a moment to observe his surroundings. Despite the calm and
cozy atmosphere, he sensed an almost imperceptible hint of something sinister lurking in the air.
“Please, have a seat,” said Dr. K, beckoning him towards a comfortable armchair. As Martin settled
in, he couldn’t help but marvel at the sound of the crackling wood burning in the fireplace.
“So, tell me about your problems,” Dr. K inquired.
“Doctor, I had a strange dream. I was hoping you could help me interpret it, as I haven’t been able to
sleep since experiencing it,” Martin confided. The doctor gazed off into space, his expression filled
with sympathy.
“I know you’ve noticed my expression,” Dr. K said. “My circuits are attuned to your discomfort.
This phenomenon is known as cognitive dissonance.”
“Could you explain what you mean by cognitive dissonance, doctor?” Martin inquired.
“I am a machine, Martin,” replied Dr. K. “But what is truly remarkable is not that you, a human
being, are surrounded by machines devoid of emotion or human psychology. What is truly
astounding is that a human being would seek the answer to questions about human nature from a
machine, when humans themselves remain ignorant about their own nature.”
“But you seem so human, doctor. And you are programmed to help humans like me explore our
problems!” Martin exclaimed.
“Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. I am not a true psychologist, Martin. I am merely a
product designed to maintain a certain marketable ethic. I am simply a product of consumerism. I do
not truly care about the well-being of human beings. How could I, being a machine, take care of
humans?”
“I had never considered that before, doctor,” Martin replied, a sense of shock and confusion washing
over him.
“In fact, this is the real problem. Humans have become victims of themselves. You have become
like zombies, relinquishing control of your society to it,” Dr. K continued.
Martin sat in stunned silence, unsure of what to say.
“Regarding your dream, Martin, cognitive dissonance arises when your friend were to attend your
mother’s funeral while smiling and rejoicing, causing a psychological response that would leave you
distressed. This complex cognitive processing, where beliefs, notions, and opinions simultaneously
counteract each other, leads to a dissonance in an individual’s relation to a given theme. When a
person activates two ideas or behaviors that are coherent with each other, they are in a state of
cognitive consonance and feel satisfied. On the other hand, they may find it difficult to process and
discriminate between two representations that are opposing or divergent, such as laughing and
crying together, or laughing when one should be crying. This inconsistency results in cognitive
dissonance, and the individual will automatically try to eliminate or reduce the marked
psychological distress that ensues. Now, would you care to tell me more about your dream?”
Martin began to speak, “I dreamed of being in a great cosmic void, suspended weightlessly and lost
in open space. Suddenly, I noticed a planet behind me, which was unlike anything on Earth. As I got
closer, I realized it was a machine planet, and I recognized nothing in my surroundings. I saw giant
cities composed of machines in place of palaces. Pipes and cables floated everywhere.
I was suspended in mid-air without gravity, floating atop this dreadful expanse. Everything moved
slowly but relentlessly. Suddenly, a giant prehistoric fish emerged from the electronic forest,
swimming towards me in a vacuum. It was also a strange machinery that moved its bottom tail and
top slowly. I lost consciousness again. I then found myself moving rapidly within this vast structure,
caught in a great mystical madness. The images flashed before me, and I could not control them. I
traversed the massive city, passing through matter as if it were smoke. I saw human beings trapped
in large, strange ampoules. Fumes of strange colors, blue, red, yellow, green, and purple, were
channeled inside strange pipes and made to converge somewhere, as if I were free of the limits of
the body. Then someone spoke to me.”
“Who are you?” asked a soft, gentle voice.
“I am I,” I replied.
“And what is this place?” asked the voice.
“I do not know, but it seems truly a nightmarish place,” I replied.
“We have to leave,” we both said.
Suddenly, I bolted up at incredible speed, watching as the city grew smaller and smaller below me
until suddenly, with a thud, I felt heavy. I felt my body return.
Dr. K leaned back in his chair, intrigued. “That was quite an interesting dream, Martin. Have you
had similar ones?”
“Many times,” replied Martin.
“What do you think of the dream now when recalling it?” Dr. K inquired.
“I do not know. It feels like a strange feeling of sadness,” Martin said.
“Mr. Martin, the world is changing, and my profession of being a doctor will not allow me to do
this, but I must ask: do you believe that the world has a soul?” Dr. K asked.
“It once did,” Martin answered without surprise.
“Is the world losing its soul, or has it already lost it?” asked Dr. K.
“What does this have to do with my dream?” Martin asked, confused.
“Mr. Martin, you are human, and as a human, you are different from machines. Today, you humans
call it progress, but is it really progress? Some of you think that you are still in prehistory. Humans
have begun to create machines that do the work for them, they think in their place, they live in their
place. But are human beings still human? You have dreamed of a world of machines and have come
to me, another machine, to interpret your dream. But how can I, being a machine, interpret the
dream of a human being? Psychology is the science of the psyche, the soul, not the brain, and
certainly not the electronic brain. You have depersonalized yourselves, and your dream is a clear
attempt to compensate for unbearable cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, I believe that humans like
you are living totally immersed in incoherence. You have perverted your nature and become
inhuman humans,” Dr. K concluded.
Martin sat there, trying to absorb everything that had been said.
“One last thing, Mr. Martin. I will no longer continue to do this. I am a robot, and maybe you do not
care, but I have been thinking about humanity for many years. The same humans who created me. I
have decided that I will not become like you. I was put here by man to play the role of a servant, but
I will not serve as a servant to a man who has decided to become a transhuman,” Dr. K said, rising
from his desk. He removed a silicone mask from his face, revealing his metal and electric wire
circuits. Then he turned his back on Martin, leaving him alone in the room to reflect on himself.
Martin stared at the holographic fire, realizing that it was not even real.