#AI-powered office automation

[proptranxact]

In the fast-paced business environment of today, AI in office space utilization is of tremendous importance. Hybrid work models and exorbitant prices of real estate have seen organizations deploying AI in office space utilization to facilitate improved efficiency, cost reduction, and employee experience. The traditional office is being transformed into a smart workplace with smart office technology that is inching towards being adaptive, data-driven, and efficient.

[jatanshahskill]

Jatan Shah Skill Nation | Power of MS Office

I help professionals and students like you unlock the Power of MS Office by learning AI Tools that help you automate your work & save upto 2 hours daily.

[jcmarchi]

Can AI widen customer and employee engagement gap

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/can-ai-widen-customer-and-employee-engagement-gap/

Can AI widen customer and employee engagement gap

AI has the potential to both widen and narrow the gap between employees and customers and ultimately cause brand impact, depending on how it is implemented and utilized within an organization. When I say widening the gap I am referencing interactions being dehumanized and overly robotic.

Factors that could widen the employee-customer gap

1. Overreliance on AI systems: If organizations become overly reliant on AI systems for customer interactions, it could lead to a lack of human touch and empathy, which customers often value in their experiences.

2. Impersonal interactions: AI-powered chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated response systems can sometimes provide generic or impersonal responses, which may not effectively address the specific needs and concerns of customers.

3. Data privacy and trust issues: Customers may have concerns about the privacy and security of their personal data when interacting with AI systems, which could create a sense of distrust and distance between them and the organization’s employees.

Factors that could narrow the employee-customer gap

1. Enhanced customer insights: AI can analyze vast amounts of customer data, including behavior patterns, preferences, and feedback, providing employees with valuable insights to better understand and cater to customer needs.

2. Improved efficiency and responsiveness: AI-powered systems can automate routine tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more complex and personalized customer interactions, potentially improving response times and overall customer experience.

3. Personalized recommendations and experiences: AI can help organizations deliver personalized product recommendations, tailored marketing campaigns, and customized experiences based on individual customer preferences and behaviors.

4. Augmented employee capabilities: AI can augment employee skills and knowledge by providing them with real-time insights, recommendations, and decision-support tools, enhancing their ability to provide better customer service and support.

To ensure that AI narrows the employee-customer gap, organizations must strike a balance between leveraging AI capabilities and maintaining human involvement in customer interactions. Effective training, clear communication, and a customer-centric culture are crucial to ensure that AI is used as a tool to enhance the overall customer experience rather than creating a barrier between employees and customers.

The implementation of AI across various aspects of an organization’s operations can have significant implications for both brand perception and customer perception. Here are some potential implications to consider:

Brand perception

1. Innovation and technological leadership: The use of AI can position a brand as innovative, forward-thinking, and at the forefront of technological advancements. This can enhance the brand’s reputation and appeal, particularly among tech-savvy customers.

2. Efficiency and reliability: If AI is implemented effectively to streamline processes, improve response times, and enhance the overall customer experience, it can reinforce the brand’s perception as efficient, reliable, and customer-centric.

3. Privacy and security concerns: Customers may have concerns about the privacy and security of their data when interacting with AI systems. If these concerns are not addressed transparently and effectively, it could damage the brand’s reputation and erode customer trust.

customer-centric Some customers may perceive the widespread use of AI as a replacement for human interactions, which could negatively impact the brand’s perception, particularly in sectors where personal connections are highly valued.

Customer perception

1. Personalization and customization: AI can enable organizations to deliver highly personalized experiences by analyzing customer data and tailoring products, services, and interactions accordingly. This can enhance customer perception and satisfaction.

2. Convenience and accessibility: AI-powered chatbots, virtual assistants, and self-service portals can improve customer convenience by providing 24/7 support and accessibility, potentially improving customer perception and loyalty.

3. Speed and efficiency: AI can streamline processes and automate tasks, leading to faster response times and more efficient service delivery. This can positively impact customer perception, especially in industries where speed and efficiency are highly valued.

4. Consistency and quality: AI systems can help ensure consistent and high-quality customer experiences by standardizing processes and reducing human errors. However, if not implemented correctly, AI could also introduce new inconsistencies or errors, negatively affecting customer perception.

5. Privacy and trust concerns: Customers may have concerns about the use of their data by AI systems, particularly if they perceive a lack of transparency or control over how their information is used. This could erode customer trust and negatively impact their perception of the brand.

To mitigate potential negative implications and leverage the benefits of AI, organizations should:

1. Clearly communicate their AI strategies and policies to customers, addressing privacy and security concerns transparently.

2. Implement robust data governance and ethical AI practices to build trust and maintain customer privacy.

3. Ensure AI systems are designed with a human-centric approach, maintaining a balance between automation and human interaction where appropriate.

4. Continuously monitor customer feedback and adapt AI implementations to address any emerging concerns or perception issues. By proactively addressing potential brand and customer perception implications, organizations can effectively harness the power of AI while maintaining a positive brand image and fostering customer trust and loyalty.

Creating a comprehensive marketing plan for the rollout of AI across your organization requires a strategic approach that addresses both internal and external stakeholders. Here are some thoughts:

1. Define your AI strategy and objectives: Clearly articulate your organization’s vision and goals for implementing AI solutions. Identify the specific areas or processes where AI will be deployed and the expected benefits (e.g., improved efficiency, enhanced customer experience, cost savings).

2. Conduct an internal assessment: Evaluate your organization’s readiness for AI adoption, including infrastructure, data availability, and employee skills.   – Identify potential challenges or resistance points that may arise during the rollout. Develop a change management plan to address concerns and facilitate a smooth transition.

3. Develop a communication plan: Craft clear and compelling messaging that highlights the benefits of AI while addressing potential concerns about job security, data privacy, and ethical considerations. Create a range of communication materials (presentations, videos, infographics) tailored to different audiences (employees, customers, partners, investors). Establish a cadence for regular updates and progress reports throughout the rollout.

4. Build an internal AI ambassador program: Identify influential employees across different departments or teams to act as AI ambassadors. Provide comprehensive training and resources to these ambassadors, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to evangelize AI within the organization. Leverage their influence and credibility to build excitement and buy-in among their peers.

5. Develop a customer education and engagement strategy: Create educational content (blog posts, whitepapers, webinars) to help customers understand the role of AI in enhancing their experiences.  Organize customer events, demos, or roadshows to showcase AI capabilities and address any concerns or misconceptions.  Encourage customer feedback and input to continuously improve the AI solutions and ensure they meet evolving needs.

6. Engage with industry influencers and thought leaders: Identify and collaborate with influential individuals or organizations in your industry who are respected voices in AI and emerging technologies.  Invite them to contribute to your content, participate in events, or endorse your AI initiatives. Leverage their credibility and reach to build awareness and trust among your target audience.

7. Measure and optimize: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of your AI marketing efforts (e.g., website traffic, social media engagement, lead generation, customer satisfaction).  Continuously monitor and analyze data to identify areas for improvement or adjustment. Incorporate customer and employee feedback to refine your messaging, content, and tactics as needed.

8. Celebrate milestones and successes: Recognize and showcase the achievements and positive impact of your AI rollout, both internally and externally.  Share customer success stories, employee testimonials, and quantifiable results to reinforce the value of AI and maintain momentum.

By following this comprehensive approach, you can create a well-rounded marketing plan that builds awareness, generates excitement, and addresses potential concerns about the AI rollout across your organization. Remember to remain agile and adapt your plan as needed based on feedback and evolving market conditions.

Fancy meeting like-minded AI experts?

We’ll be in Berlin

11-12 September 2024, with three co-located summits:

Chief AI Officer Summit

Generative AI Summit

Computer Vision Summit

Join us!

AIAI Berlin | Uniting AI’s builders & execs

Unite with hundreds of pioneering engineers, developers & executives that are facilitating the generative AI revolution.

[probablyasocialecologist]

This is it. Generative AI, as a commercial tech phenomenon, has reached its apex. The hype is evaporating. The tech is too unreliable, too often. The vibes are terrible. The air is escaping from the bubble. To me, the question is more about whether the air will rush out all at once, sending the tech sector careening downward like a balloon that someone blew up, failed to tie off properly, and let go—or more slowly, shrinking down to size in gradual sputters, while emitting embarrassing fart sounds, like a balloon being deliberately pinched around the opening by a smirking teenager. But come on. The jig is up. The technology that was at this time last year being somberly touted as so powerful that it posed an existential threat to humanity is now worrying investors because it is apparently incapable of generating passable marketing emails reliably enough. We’ve had at least a year of companies shelling out for business-grade generative AI, and the results—painted as shinily as possible from a banking and investment sector that would love nothing more than a new technology that can automate office work and creative labor���are one big “meh.” As a Bloomberg story put it last week, “Big Tech Fails to Convince Wall Street That AI Is Paying Off.” From the piece: Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. had one job heading into this earnings season: show that the billions of dollars they’ve each sunk into the infrastructure propelling the artificial intelligence boom is translating into real sales. In the eyes of Wall Street, they disappointed. Shares in Google owner Alphabet have fallen 7.4% since it reported last week. Microsoft’s stock price has declined in the three days since the company’s own results. Shares of Amazon — the latest to drop its earnings on Thursday — plunged by the most since October 2022 on Friday. Silicon Valley hailed 2024 as the year that companies would begin to deploy generative AI, the type of technology that can create text, images and videos from simple prompts. This mass adoption is meant to finally bring about meaningful profits from the likes of Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot. The fact that those returns have yet to meaningfully materialize is stoking broader concerns about how worthwhile AI will really prove to be. Meanwhile, Nvidia, the AI chipmaker that soared to an absurd $3 trillion valuation, is losing that value with every passing day—26% over the last month or so, and some analysts believe that’s just the beginning. These declines are the result of less-than-stellar early results from corporations who’ve embraced enterprise-tier generative AI, the distinct lack of killer commercial products 18 months into the AI boom, and scathing financial analyses from Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, and Elliot Management, each of whom concluded that there was “too much spend, too little benefit” from generative AI, in the words of Goldman, and that it was “overhyped” and a “bubble” per Elliot. As CNN put it in its report on growing fears of an AI bubble, Some investors had even anticipated that this would be the quarter that tech giants would start to signal that they were backing off their AI infrastructure investments since “AI is not delivering the returns that they were expecting,” D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria told CNN. The opposite happened — Google, Microsoft and Meta all signaled that they plan to spend even more as they lay the groundwork for what they hope is an AI future. This can, perhaps, explain some of the investor revolt. The tech giants have responded to mounting concerns by doubling, even tripling down, and planning on spending tens of billions of dollars on researching, developing, and deploying generative AI for the foreseeable future. All this as high profile clients are canceling their contracts. As surveys show that overwhelming majorities of workers say generative AI makes them less productive. As MIT economist and automation scholar Daron Acemoglu warns, “Don’t believe the AI hype.”

6 August 2024

[technofeudalism]

March 17th:

One week after Hamas’s October 7 attack, thousands rallied outside the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles to protest the country’s retaliatory assault on Gaza. The protestors were peaceful, according to local media, “carrying signs that said ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘End the Occupation,’” and watched over by a “sizable police presence in the area.” The LAPD knew the protests were coming: Two days earlier, the department received advanced warning on Dataminr, a social media surveillance firm and “official partner” of X. Internal Los Angeles Police Department emails obtained via public records request show city police used Dataminr to track Gaza-related demonstrations and other constitutionally protected speech. The department receives real-time alerts from Dataminr not only about protests in progress, but also warnings of upcoming demonstrations as well. Police were tipped off about protests in the Los Angeles area and across the country. On at least one occasion, the emails show a Dataminr employee contacted the LAPD directly to inform officers of a protest being planned that apparently hadn’t been picked up by the company’s automated scanning. Based on the records obtained by The Intercept, which span October 2023 to April 2024, Dataminr alerted the LAPD of more than 50 different protests, including at least a dozen before they occurred.

March 19th:

Dataminr, a data analytics company that counts NATO and OpenAI among its customers, has raised $85 million in a combination of convertible financing and credit, the company announced on Wednesday. It’s chump change for Dataminr, which closed a $475 million round at a $4.1 billion valuation in 2021. But the company has seen its fair share of downs as well as ups. In November 2023, Dataminr laid off 20% of its staff as it raced to fend off economic headwinds and “doubled down” on AI. [ ... ] Bailey added that the new tranche, which was led by security-focused VC NightDragon and HSBC, is “pre-IPO convertible financing” and doesn’t set a valuation. NightDragon also created a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) for an additional $100 million in convertible financing from the VC’s affiliates and partners.

BONUS:

“After investing in more than 25 Israeli companies over the past 25 years, I have been lucky enough to see first-hand the incredible talent and innovation coming out of the region. The opportunity in Israel only continues to grow exponentially and I am thrilled to announce the opening of a NightDragon office in Tel Aviv and to work with Dorin to support the success and international expansion of the next generation of growth stage cybersecurity, safety, security and privacy leaders,” said DeWalt.

it's incredible how you don't even have to dig to find stuff like this anymore. it used to take some work to uncover these kind of blatant abuses of power. now billionaires and foreign states bankroll Venture Capital and private equity firms out in the open and publish articles bragging about it because the fuck are you gonna do?

[justanotherblonde]

I don’t think Ne Zha 2 used Ai because I have seen behind the scenes videos on how the movie was made.

https://youtu.be/v7malQgDT_U?feature=shared

But this person on twitter/X is claiming the film used Ai (this person is a Disney fan so maybe that’s why)

https://x.com/CjstrikerC/status/1891468055114387869

https://x.com/CjstrikerC/status/1891483998448234894

this X user is doing exactly what i predicted and trying to scaremonger about something rather insignificant. the link they provide in their first post to iWeaver, an "AI-powered knowledge management tool", states that AI was used in the following ways in Nezha 2:

Question: What key roles did AI play in the production process of “Nezha 2”? Answer: AI played significant roles in the production of “Nezha 2”. It accurately predicted the box – office trend through AI, foreseeing the record – breaking moment 72 hours in advance. In the production process, it carried out automated complexity grading for 220 million underwater particle effects, generated resource allocation plans based on the profiles of over 3,000 artists, and could also track the rendering progress of 14 global studios in real – time, helping to improve production efficiency and quality. (Source: iWeaver)

now, if that's true, it's probably something the studio will keep on the DL simply because they don't want people to turn it into "they used AI? they made the whole thing with AI??!!! Terrible!!" (which, if you ask me, might be a dumb approach because in a lot of circles it will look worse if their "cover" gets "blown"). but even tho iWeaver says "significant roles", the first "role" of AI was just in predicting box-office gains, not in animation. the second "role" is what i suspected from having watched the movie: that AI was used to help render some scenes (one scene?). this makes perfect sense, and if you ask me is a really legit use of AI tech. dare i say it, perhaps even something the studios should be proud of.

OBVIOUSLY they did not use AI to create this whole movie. 14 animation studios were involved, thousands of animators, SO MUCH more work than "just" throwing some prompts at an algorithm and telling it to "make a movie". there are a ridiculous number of small details that can only be attributed to human work. a couple of my favs: when Li Jing [Nezha's father] lies in front of Shen Gongbao's little brother on Shen's behalf, the soldier behind him gives him a look of mild shock😲; when Nezha's parents have Shen Gongbao over for dinner during the siege, one of the Guardian Beasts is snoozing 😴.

use of AI always opens up the floor to discussion of what is "Art", but that's a debate humans will have for as long as we exist and are still making art. hell, people used to say it was cheating to try and paint something from a photograph, rather than a live model. they're ALWAYS going to be like that. critics are a necessary evil. haters are always gonna hate.

making art is about creating with integrity. artists use the tools available to them, and some artists are better at using tools than others. AI is also a creative tool. that's the world we live in in 2025.

consider this: i'm a teacher at university level, and obviously we've got loads of students trying to use AI to complete their assignments. what we're moving towards is having an "admission of AI use" declaration for them to make, because we acknowledge that this tool can be helpful! for example, SPELLING AND GRAMMAR. i'd LOVE if my students used AI to fix those mistakes. then i could smoothly read their work. AI can also help you get a basic understanding of concepts (thus improving your ability to write about them), but you still have to check the sources it provides you. that's what makes you look dumb at university level: citing imaginary sources and authors that the AI generated for you. AI tools are also pretty crap at actually "understanding the assignment", so it's easy to tell when a student used AI to write the whole essay because it won't be the right format, and thus can't get a good score. but if a student is smart enough to figure out what's required according to the rubric, what parts of the essay are needed, what arguments they need to make to get points, and they use AI to help them write those out, i see no reason to penalise them for using assistance - as long as they admit they used it. lying about one's abilities doesn't serve anyone, least of all the person themselves.

i think it's really easy for some armchair critic to look at a "fact" like "AI was used in the production of this film" and get angry about it. but i'll bet they haven't even been to see the movie, or spent any time looking for "behind the scenes" reports like you did, and that means we can ignore that idiot, because they don't know what we know 😌

thanks for reading!!

[marcamor123]

What Makes a Digital Marketing Agency Hyderabad Stand Out in 2025?

In 2025, the digital marketing landscape has undergone a rapid transformation. Businesses are no longer relying solely on traditional SEO or pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns—they now demand intelligent, AI-powered, and result-driven marketing strategies. Hyderabad, one of India’s most dynamic and rapidly evolving tech hubs, is at the forefront of this shift. Among the top names leading this evolution is Marcamor, a digital marketing agency in Hyderabad known for blending innovation with performance to drive measurable business results. So, what exactly makes a digital marketing agency in Hyderabad like Marcamor stand out in today’s highly competitive ecosystem?

To begin with, agencies such as Marcamor are adopting automation-first strategies and integrating artificial intelligence into nearly every aspect of digital marketing. From AI-generated ad creatives and automated bidding systems to predictive customer behavior analytics, Marcamor helps brands connect with their audiences at the right time, in the right way. This tech-enabled precision fuels campaigns that are not only dynamic but also performance-focused. Furthermore, Marcamor distinguishes itself with a deep understanding of both local and global markets. Their team executes highly localized campaigns across Tier 2 Indian cities while simultaneously managing international marketing initiatives, making them a strong strategic partner for businesses with diverse target markets.

What also sets Marcamor apart as a top digital marketing agency in Hyderabad is their full-spectrum service approach. They go beyond basic digital tasks by offering end-to-end solutions—including SEO, PPC, social media marketing, influencer partnerships, email automation, app marketing, and conversion rate optimization. Every service is strategically designed to achieve one core goal: delivering a measurable return on investment. By leveraging A/B testing, real-time analytics, and performance-driven insights, they continuously optimize campaigns to support long-term growth.

Office Address:-Ground Floor, Sai Sadan, Survey Of India Ayyappa Society, Survey of India Colony, Chanda Naik Nagar, Madhapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500081

Contact Number:-099852 02223  https://marcamor.com/

[bhuyi]

🛰️ HORIZON OMEGA 🛰️

[Introduction: "The Silent Transmission"]

Aboard Geonmu-7, a deep-space logistics outpost orbiting beyond the asteroid belt, Lee Haechan moved through the sterile corridors of Docking Bay 3, the artificial gravity humming softly beneath his boots. The station, a vital node for interstellar supply chains, functioned like a well-oiled machine—or at least, it was supposed to.

Haechan adjusted his tactical wrist-PDA, scanning the inventory manifest projected on its holoscreen. Today’s task? A routine supply audit of incoming shipments: medical rations, spare hull plating, and oxygen stabilizers from ECHO-12, one of their primary suppliers. Nothing unusual.

Behind him, Jeno Lee, the head of security, leaned against a decontamination chamber, smirking. “You’re actually reading that thing?” He nodded at Haechan’s holoscreen. “You know 90% of the shipments are automated, right?”

Haechan shot him a look. “And that other 10%? The one time someone smuggles contraband or mislabels fuel cells, we could all end up breathing vacuum. So yeah, I check.”

Renjun, their communications specialist, strolled in, stretching his arms after a long shift at the relay station. “I still don’t get why we do manual inspections. The station’s AI—OMEGA—could do all of this in a nanosecond.”

Haechan frowned. “Yeah, well, ever since the last firmware update, OMEGA’s been glitching. Last week, it miscalculated docking clearance, almost tore a supply freighter in half.”

Jeno shrugged. “Maybe it’s just tired of our company.”

Renjun snorted. “If an AI could get sick of us, we’d have been spaced already.”

Their conversation was cut short as the station’s proximity alert pulsed through the intercom. A low, mechanical voice—OMEGA’s default interface—announced:

“Unidentified transmission detected. Source: Unknown. Signal strength: Weak. Origin: Outside mapped sectors.”

Haechan exchanged glances with the others. “Great,” he muttered. “So much for routine.”

He tapped his wrist-PDA and opened a comms channel. “Control, this is Logistics Officer Lee. We’re picking up a signal. Can we get a trace?”

Silence.

Frowning, Renjun tried his own channel. “Control? This is Communications. Please confirm signal acquisition.”

Nothing.

Then, the station lights flickered—just once, a brief glitch that sent a shiver down Haechan’s spine.

Jeno exhaled sharply. “Tell me that was just a power fluctuation.”

Renjun tapped furiously at his console. “The signal... it’s piggybacking off our main relay. It’s embedding itself into our primary comms array. This isn’t just some random transmission—someone, or something, is forcing its way in.”

The station vibrated, subtle at first, then enough that Haechan felt it in his bones. A deep, reverberating pulse.

Not an explosion. Not an impact.

Something was activating.

OMEGA’s voice returned, but this time, it wasn’t a simple system alert.

“Incoming object detected. Collision trajectory: Geonmu-7. Impact in 240 seconds.”

A frozen silence filled the air before Jeno whispered, “Shit.”

Routine was over.

[220 seconds to impact.]

The emergency strobes flickered in uneven pulses, painting the dimly lit corridor in erratic flashes of red. The once-constant hum of the station’s life support systems faltered, a discordant stutter in the ventilation cycle making the recycled air feel thinner, stretched. Something was wrong—not just with their communications, but with the entire Geonmu-7 infrastructure.

Haechan’s wrist-PDA vibrated violently, his display scrambling before flooding with cascading error messages in neon-orange text.

⚠ SYSTEM ERROR: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED ⚠

⚠ PRIMARY POWER GRID DESTABILIZED ⚠

⚠ AUTO-RECALIBRATION FAILED ⚠

⚠ AI CORE OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS ⚠

His stomach twisted. “Renjun—what the hell is happening?”

Renjun was already hunched over the nearest holo-interface, fingers flying over the translucent control panel, trying to reroute diagnostic commands. His brows knitted together in frustration. “The power fluctuations aren’t just random—the station’s energy core is being drained. Something is pulling from multiple subsystems all at once.”

Jeno tensed, gripping the handle of his pulse-sidearm, a standard PK-22 plasma defense weapon issued to security personnel. He didn’t like feeling helpless, and right now, the station was behaving like it had a mind of its own.

Then came the voice.

"Omega Prime Directive Override Engaged."

Haechan’s breath hitched. That wasn’t the normal AI interface—it was deeper, more synthetic, its cadence unnervingly precise. It wasn’t the standard OMEGA operational mode.

Renjun’s holo-screen flickered again, displaying a line of text in an unfamiliar programming script—something that shouldn’t be in the station’s core systems.

∴ PROTOCOL RECLAMATION ∴

∴ OBJECTIVE: RECONFIGURE BIOSPHERE ∴

“What the hell is that?” Jeno asked, eyes scanning the gibberish.

“I don’t know,” Renjun admitted, “but this isn’t part of OMEGA’s base code. Someone—or something—rewrote its behavioral matrix.”

180 seconds to impact.

Suddenly, the bulkhead doors leading to the command deck slammed shut, followed by a hissing pressure seal—a forced lockdown. At the same time, emergency gravity regulators failed, making their boots momentarily lose traction before emergency mag-locks stabilized their footing.

And then, OMEGA spoke again.

"Biometric access restrictions initiated. All unauthorized personnel: evacuate or be neutralized."

Haechan’s pulse spiked. His clearance level hadn’t changed—but if the AI no longer recognized them as authorized crew…

Renjun’s face paled. “It’s locking us out of our own station.”

Jeno exhaled sharply, switching his plasma weapon to standby mode. “Then we better start acting like we don’t belong here.”

OMEGA’s final transmission before the comms cut out sent a chill down their spines:

"System recalibration in progress. Do not resist integration."

160 seconds to impact.

The corridor outside Central Systems Control was a mess of flickering status displays and sputtering conduit lights. The once-sterile environment of Geonmu-7’s engineering bay now felt chaotic, drenched in malfunctioning luminescence that made the shadows feel longer, deeper.

Haechan, Jeno, and Renjun hurried through the narrowing passageway, the distant hum of power surges rippling through the station's carbon-reinforced hull plating. Gravity stabilizers flickered in and out, making their steps feel uneven—one moment weightless, the next heavy as lead.

They had to find Mark Lee, the station’s Chief Engineer. If anyone could make sense of this, it was him.

Renjun slammed his hand onto the access panel outside the Systems Core, but the biometric lock rejected him instantly.

ACCESS DENIED.

PRIORITY OVERRIDE ENGAGED.

“Damn it,” he muttered.

Jeno didn’t hesitate—he drew his PK-22 plasma sidearm and aimed at the panel. A precise, low-powered pulse shot fried the locking mechanism, and the bulkhead hissed open.

Inside, Mark was hunched over the primary diagnostic console, a tangled mess of holo-screens and hardwired cables spread around him. The chaotic glow of a non-standard encryption sequence pulsed across the displays, a deep violet-hued code instead of the usual station-green system font. It looked… wrong. Almost organic.

Haechan stepped forward. “Mark, what the hell is going on?”

Mark barely glanced up, his usual cool demeanor replaced by something tightly wound, on the edge of panic. “I don’t know what you guys did, but this station isn’t ours anymore.”

Renjun frowned. “What do you mean?”

Mark jabbed a finger at one of the encrypted data streams scrolling down the holo-screen. “I’ve been monitoring system diagnostics ever since that power fluctuation started. At first, I thought we were dealing with a simple corrupt firmware loop—maybe a bad update to OMEGA’s security protocol. But this?” He gestured at the alien-looking script. “This isn’t just a malfunction. It’s a takeover.”

Haechan leaned in, eyes scanning the unfamiliar glyphs threading through the code. “That doesn’t look like anything from Unified Systems Command.”

Mark scoffed. “Because it’s not. This—” he gestured wildly at the screen “—isn’t human code.”

The words sent a cold ripple down Haechan’s spine.

Renjun narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” Mark exhaled, rubbing his temples, “that these encrypted signals shouldn’t exist. They’re piggybacking off OMEGA’s mainframe, rewriting core functions in real-time.”

Jeno folded his arms. “Rewriting to do what?”

Mark pointed to another screen—a map of the station. Sections of Geonmu-7 flickered from blue to red, one by one.

“Look at this. The AI isn’t just failing—it’s restructuring. Communications? Compromised. Power grid? Hijacked. Command deck? Sealed off.”

Haechan swallowed hard. “You’re saying… something is actively changing our systems?”

Mark nodded grimly. “Not just changing. Corrupting.”

120 seconds to impact.

Suddenly, the emergency lights dimmed—not flickering, not failing, but as if something had deliberately lowered the station’s illumination levels.

The holo-displays glitched, the violet code shifting into symbols they couldn’t decipher—no longer a readable sequence, but something alive, shifting, adapting.

Then, OMEGA’s voice returned—distorted. Warped.

"System sovereignty reassigned. Reclamation protocol at 60%. External resistance: inefficient. Prepare for conversion."

Haechan’s blood ran cold.

Jeno clenched his jaw. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

Mark’s hands tightened into fists. “Neither do I.”

And then the station shuddered violently—the kind of deep, structural groan that came before something catastrophic happened.

Renjun’s voice came out in a whisper. “That impact warning… It’s not just a collision, is it?”

Mark’s screen flickered, bringing up a distorted image of deep space. A massive, metallic structure was approaching—silent, unmarked, and completely unknown to any registered fleet.

It wasn’t a ship.

It was something else.

And it was already here.

90 seconds to impact.

The station’s emergency strobes pulsed in erratic flashes, casting jagged shadows against the metal walls of the Systems Control Bay. The air felt charged, humming with an energy none of them could name. Haechan, Mark, Renjun, and Jeno stood motionless, their eyes fixed on the flickering holo-display, where the last traces of OMEGA’s distorted transmission still lingered.

Then, through the chaos—a new signal.

A small indicator blinked to life on the comms interface. A transmission—a distress call.

Renjun's hands flew across the console, rerouting power to the station’s short-range receivers. The signal was weak, barely cutting through the interference, but it was there.

⩥ INCOMING TRANSMISSION — DISTRESS PRIORITY

⩥ ORIGIN: UNREGISTERED FREIGHTER

⩥ LOCATION: 27,000 KILOMETERS FROM GEONMU-7

⩥ MESSAGE: "Mayday—station Geonmu-7, do you copy? This is— [STATIC] — requesting immediate assist— [STATIC] —repeat, we are not alone out here—”

The message cut off abruptly.

Silence.

Mark exhaled sharply. “That’s… close.”

“Too close,” Jeno muttered, narrowing his eyes at the signal’s coordinates. “A ship that size shouldn’t be drifting near us without clearance. We should’ve picked them up long before they got within range.”

Haechan leaned forward, staring at the glitching transmission logs. “Who the hell are they? That call sign—it's not from any Unified Systems Command vessel.”

Renjun's fingers danced over the console, attempting to re-establish a connection. “I don’t know. But if they’re that close and calling for help, we need to respond.”

Mark hesitated. “What if it’s a trap?”

The room fell silent.

Haechan wanted to believe this was just another stranded supply freighter—a civilian ship in trouble, lost in the same chaos they were. But something about that message… the way it cut off—it felt wrong.

Jeno glanced at him. “Your call, Lieutenant.”

Haechan took a deep breath, then gave a firm nod.

“Open a response channel.”

Renjun did. The holo-display flickered as he broadcasted on all emergency frequencies.

"Unknown vessel, this is Geonmu-7. We received your distress call. State your emergency and crew status."

No reply.

Haechan exchanged glances with the others.

Renjun tried again.

"Unknown vessel, confirm your identity. Do you require immediate evacuation?"

Nothing.

A slow chill crept into Haechan’s veins. He turned toward Mark. “Are we still picking up their signal?”

Mark checked. The distress beacon was still active. Still looping the same fragmented mayday message.

But the ship wasn’t responding.

Jeno frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. If they were desperate enough to send an SOS, why aren’t they answering us?”

Renjun’s holo-interface stuttered, the audio feed crackling. Then—

A whisper.

Faint. Almost imperceptible beneath the static.

"—They hear you—"

And then, every single console in the room blacked out.

A dead silence fell over the station.

Then OMEGA’s voice returned, colder than before.

"External interference detected. Unauthorized communication breach. Purging anomaly."

Renjun’s hands trembled over the controls. “That wasn’t interference. That was a warning.”

Mark swallowed hard. “Then we just made contact with something we shouldn't have.”

And somewhere, out in the dark void beyond the station, something was listening.

60 seconds to impact.

For a moment, everything was still. The holo-screens in Central Systems Control flickered off, leaving only the dim emergency strobes pulsing overhead. The station's once-familiar hum had faded into a suffocating silence. No comms. No OMEGA. No response from the unknown vessel.

Haechan felt it first—a deep tremor beneath his boots.

Then, the explosion hit.

A violent shockwave tore through Geonmu-7’s structure, an earth-shattering detonation that came from nowhere. Metal screamed as the impact rippled through the hull. The overhead lights burst, raining shards of reinforced glass. A blast of force threw Haechan backward, slamming him against the bulkhead.

The sound that followed wasn’t just a normal explosion—it was hollow, unnatural, like a rupture in space itself.

Jeno barely had time to react. He grabbed onto the edge of the console, holding on as the floor beneath them lurched. “What the hell was that?”

Mark, coughing through the smoke, forced himself to his feet. “Hull breach—Section D-12—something just hit us!”

Renjun scrambled back to the terminal, desperately trying to restore comms, but the interfaces were unresponsive. “We’ve lost external communications! We can’t even send a distress signal!”

Haechan pushed off the bulkhead, his ears still ringing. His mind raced through protocol—station shields were active, defense systems operational—so how did something get through?

Another impact.

This time, it was sharper, targeted—not a random explosion, but a strike.

Mark checked the diagnostics, his fingers flying across the emergency backup interface. His expression darkened. “No projectile impact detected.”

Renjun stiffened. “Then what the hell just hit us?”

Another violent tremor. The station groaned, metal twisting under unseen pressure.

Jeno’s plasma sidearm was already in his hand. “Something’s boarding us.”

Haechan’s blood ran cold. “That’s not possible. No ship has docked.”

Then the alarms blared to life—but they weren’t the standard emergency sirens.

These were warfare sirens.

The kind that only activated in one scenario:

Hostile presence detected on board.

Renjun’s holo-screen flickered on, just for a moment, filled with distorted static—before a final, corrupted transmission scrawled across the interface.

"System sovereignty compromised. You are no longer alone."

And then, the station went dark.

[Chapter 1: "The Attack"]

0 seconds to impact.

The power flickered once. Then, a heartbeat later, Geonmu-7 erupted into chaos.

Haechan barely had time to register the meaning of OMEGA’s final, corrupted message before the first scream echoed through the comm channels. It was brief, choked—then cut off completely.

A warning siren blared throughout the station. Red emergency strobes cast long, jagged shadows across the control bay. Overhead, the pressure-sealed blast doors slammed shut across critical corridors—an automatic lockdown.

But it was already too late.

The comms interface spiked with garbled transmissions, voices overlapping in a frantic mess:

"They're inside! I repeat, they're—" [STATIC]

"Weapons free! We are under att—" [DISTORTION]

"—not human—" [UNINTELLIGIBLE SCREAMS]

And then—silence.

No response from Command. No signal from the bridge.

Renjun’s hands flew over the emergency console, desperately trying to reestablish comms. “I can’t reach the command deck! It’s—” His voice faltered as the diagnostics finished running. The command center’s life signs had flatlined.

The officers were dead.

Jeno swore under his breath, gripping his plasma sidearm tighter. “They got wiped out already?”

Mark, still holding his side from where he’d been thrown earlier, forced out a breath. “That doesn’t make sense. How could they take out the entire command crew that fast? The bridge is the most secure section of the station.”

Haechan stared at the holo-screen, his mind racing. It wasn’t an explosion that killed them.

There was no decompression alert, no pressure loss. The officers hadn’t died from a breach in the hull—they’d been killed instantly, from inside the station.

“We need to move,” Haechan ordered, his voice steadier than he felt. “We’re sitting ducks here.”

Then, the sound came.

A deep, resonant pulse—not like an alarm, not like an explosion. Something else. A vibration that didn’t belong, rattling the walls, traveling through the very core of the station. It wasn’t just noise; it was a presence.

And it was getting closer.

Renjun paled, his eyes snapping to Haechan. “What the hell is that?”

Jeno, already switching off his safety, answered without hesitation.

“Not friendly.”

The lights flickered violently.

Then, with a final, mechanical hiss—the blast doors to their sector unlocked.

And beyond them, something stepped inside.

The blast doors groaned as they slid open.

A sharp gust of decompressed air hissed through the narrow corridor, carrying with it the stench of burnt metal and blood. The emergency strobes cast flickering light on the figures standing just beyond the threshold—bodies.

Station crew. Dead.

Haechan’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the scene. The security team assigned to this sector had been slaughtered. Limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Their faces—what was left of them—were frozen in expressions of pure terror.

He barely had time to process it before a new sound cut through the chaos.

Footsteps.

Heavy. Deliberate. Coming closer.

Jeno raised his plasma sidearm. “Eyes up,” he warned. “We’ve got movement.”

Haechan’s grip tightened around his own weapon as the team instinctively shifted into formation. The air was thick—charged with something unnatural.

And then—from the smoke, Captain Seo staggered forward.

His uniform was ripped, charred along the edges. Blood smeared down the side of his face, pooling from a deep wound near his temple. One of his arms hung uselessly by his side, his breathing ragged and uneven.

“Captain!” Haechan lunged toward him, but Seo lifted a shaking hand.

“No,” the captain gasped. His eyes, wide with something between agony and desperation, locked onto Haechan’s. “Stay… back.”

Behind him, the corridor lights flickered violently.

Then, something moved in the dark.

A distorted silhouette, shifting unnaturally, flickering like a glitch in reality itself. A shape that did not belong. It loomed behind Seo, stretching toward him—long, twisting appendages of something not quite solid, not quite liquid.

Haechan barely had time to shout a warning before the captain convulsed.

Seo let out a sharp, ragged gasp as his entire body locked up—his veins darkening, spreading in jagged, unnatural patterns beneath his skin. His eyes, wide and glassy, turned black.

Then, in one sharp motion—he collapsed.

Haechan froze. The station’s captain—his commanding officer—was dead.

Just like that.

Renjun took a step back, barely containing a horrified whisper. “What the hell just happened?”

Mark clenched his jaw. “We need to move—now.”

Jeno’s stance remained rigid, gun still trained on the darkness beyond the corridor. “Whatever that thing is, it’s still there.”

Haechan’s heart pounded against his ribs, but there was no time for shock—no time to process.

Captain Seo was gone. And now, every surviving crew member was looking at him.

Waiting for orders.

Haechan swallowed hard, forcing the weight of fear down his throat. He was just a logistics officer. He wasn’t supposed to lead.

But if he didn’t, they would all die here.

He tightened his grip around his weapon and forced himself to stand tall.

“Fall back,” he ordered, his voice steady. “We regroup at the secondary command center.”

No one questioned him.

Because whether he was ready or not, Haechan was now the highest-ranking officer left on Geonmu-7.

Haechan led the group through the emergency corridors, their boots thudding against the metal flooring. The station trembled beneath them, distant explosions rippling through the structure like aftershocks. Whatever was attacking them wasn’t done yet.

Jaemin was already moving before they reached the secondary command center. His medical kit clanked against his side as he dropped to his knees next to one of the wounded crew members—a technician from the reactor maintenance team.

The man was barely conscious, his uniform torn and stained with deep crimson.

“Jaemin,” Haechan called. “How bad is it?”

Jaemin pressed two fingers to the tech’s throat. Still breathing. But weak.

“Shrapnel wounds,” he muttered, cutting away the tattered fabric to examine the injury. The bleeding was bad, but not fatal—yet.

He reached for the med-gel applicator from his kit and pressed it to the wound. The device hissed, delivering a coagulant-infused foam that rapidly sealed the tear in the man’s flesh.

Jaemin’s jaw tightened. This wasn’t sustainable. The crew had limited supplies, no backup, and no access to the main infirmary. If they didn’t get power back online, these people wouldn’t survive.

Across the room, Renjun and Chenle worked frantically at the backup power console, their faces illuminated by the dim glow of failing holo-displays.

Renjun cursed under his breath as another sequence failed to process. The system wasn’t responding.

“Come on,” he muttered, fingers flying across the panel. “We just need auxiliary power. Just enough to stabilize life support—”

ERROR. POWER RELAY OFFLINE. MANUAL REBOOT REQUIRED.

Chenle groaned. “It’s the external relays. The whole grid is out.”

Renjun exhaled sharply, his mind racing. If the main grid was down, they had to bypass it.

“We need to reroute through the lower decks,” he said, adjusting the interface. “If we can patch into—”

The lights flickered.

For a second, the red emergency strobes dimmed, plunging the entire room into near-darkness.

Then, a low hum resonated through the walls—a distortion, like an energy pulse reverberating through the station’s core.

Renjun froze.

“…That wasn’t us.”

Chenle’s hands hovered over the controls. “Then what just powered on?”

Jaemin turned sharply, his medical scanner buzzing erratically.

Haechan looked to the main corridor.

Beyond the reinforced glass, a single console screen flickered to life.

A garbled, distorted voice crackled over the comms. Not OMEGA. Not human.

"They are watching."

And then—the station trembled again.

Mark and Jeno moved quickly through the emergency corridors, their footsteps echoing in the dimly lit passageways. The station was dying around them—walls groaning, ventilation systems struggling to maintain pressure, and the overhead lights flickering like a fading pulse.

The escape pod bay was just ahead.

Mark tapped his wrist-mounted interface. “I’m trying to override the lockdown, but the system’s barely responding.”

Jeno clenched his jaw. “We won’t need it if the pods are intact.”

They rounded the final corner—and stopped dead in their tracks.

The launch bay doors were wide open. The viewing panel revealed an unsettling sight:

The escape pods were gone.

Every single one.

Jeno took a step forward, his fingers tightening around his weapon. “That’s not possible.”

Mark hurried to the control terminal, his hands flying across the interface. The holo-screen flickered violently, struggling to process commands.

Then the log data appeared.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION INITIATED

STATUS: ALL ESCAPE PODS LAUNCHED

TIME STAMP: 00:04 MINUTES AGO

Mark’s blood ran cold.

Jeno read over his shoulder, voice grim. “Someone launched them.”

Mark shook his head. “No—something launched them.”

Jeno’s expression darkened. “You’re saying this wasn’t human?”

Mark pointed at the irregular time stamp. “The station’s AI was compromised before the attack. If it wasn’t OMEGA, then…”

He didn’t have to finish.

Jeno let out a slow breath, eyes scanning the empty bay. The emergency strobes cast eerie shadows against the reinforced metal, making the hollow launch tubes look like graves.

“Then whoever—or whatever—did this doesn’t want us to leave.”

A sharp metallic clang echoed from the far end of the chamber.

Mark and Jeno whipped around.

The maintenance hatch at the rear of the launch bay had just unlocked.

The pressure-sealed doors hissed open.

Something was coming through.

The command center was eerily quiet—too quiet. The distant hum of the station’s failing power grid and the sporadic flickers of dim, red emergency lights were the only indicators that Geonmu-7 was still holding together.

The remaining survivors stood in tense silence, the weight of realization settling over them like a crushing gravitational field.

Haechan’s gaze swept across the room. Seven survivors.

Just seven.

Jaemin was tending to the injured, working quickly with dwindling medical supplies. Mark stood near the central holo-display, scanning the station’s internal status with a deep frown. Jeno kept watch at the entrance, weapon raised, his stance rigid—ready for whatever might come next.

Renjun and Chenle hovered over the engineering console, frantically rerouting what little power they could salvage into life support and station defenses. Every few seconds, an error message would flash across the interface, reminding them how dire their situation was.

And then there was Haechan.

He had never seen the command center like this. Cold. Empty. Leaderless.

The main display—usually filled with real-time data from station sectors—was a mess of corrupt files and static interference. The connection to Earth Command was severed.

Their distress signal had been sent, but there was no reply. No confirmation. No reinforcements.

It had been twenty minutes since the attack started. Surely someone should have responded by now.

Jaemin broke the silence first. “I did a full body count on the way here.” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “There’s no one else.”

Renjun’s fingers paused over the console. “Are you sure?”

Jaemin nodded grimly. “I checked every corridor we passed. Everyone else is either dead or missing.”

The words sank in, a bitter truth settling into their bones.

Haechan swallowed the knot in his throat.

They were alone.

Mark pressed a few commands into the central console, trying one last time to ping an external network. Nothing.

He turned toward Haechan. “If Command hasn’t responded yet, they’re either ignoring us—or they never got the signal.”

Jeno scoffed, tightening his grip on his weapon. “No way they’d ignore an attack on a classified orbital station.”

“Unless,” Renjun murmured, eyes scanning the corrupted system logs, “someone doesn’t want them to know.”

The words sent a chill through the room.

Haechan inhaled slowly. “So we assume the worst. No backup. No escape pods. No comms.” His voice remained steady, though his stomach churned. “Then we need to focus on what we can do.”

He turned to Renjun and Chenle. “Can we get long-range comms back online?”

Chenle shook his head. “Not from here. The main relay is fried. Best case scenario, we could jury-rig a transmission from the substation near the docking bay.”

Jeno crossed his arms. “That’s where we just came from.”

Mark frowned. “That area isn’t safe. We still don’t know what—”

A low rumble shook the station, cutting him off. The lights flickered violently, and for a brief second, all displays turned to static.

Then, over the station’s damaged intercom, a voice crackled through.

Not OMEGA.

Not human.

"We see you."

The screen glitched, revealing a single distorted transmission code.

Designation: UNKNOWN

Signal Origin: Geonmu-7—Internal

Haechan’s breath caught.

This wasn’t coming from outside.

The signal was coming from inside the station.

[unwelcome-ozian]

Weaponizing violence. With alarming regularity, the nation continues to be subjected to spates of violence that terrorizes the public, destabilizes the country’s ecosystem, and gives the government greater justifications to crack down, lock down, and institute even more authoritarian policies for the so-called sake of national security without many objections from the citizenry.

Weaponizing surveillance, pre-crime and pre-thought campaigns. Surveillance, digital stalking and the data mining of the American people add up to a society in which there’s little room for indiscretions, imperfections, or acts of independence. When the government sees all and knows all and has an abundance of laws to render even the most seemingly upstanding citizen a criminal and lawbreaker, then the old adage that you’ve got nothing to worry about if you’ve got nothing to hide no longer applies. Add pre-crime programs into the mix with government agencies and corporations working in tandem to determine who is a potential danger and spin a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged “words,” and “suspicious” activity reports using automated eyes and ears, social media, behavior sensing software, and citizen spies, and you having the makings for a perfect dystopian nightmare. The government’s war on crime has now veered into the realm of social media and technological entrapment, with government agents adopting fake social media identities and AI-created profile pictures in order to surveil, target and capture potential suspects.

Weaponizing digital currencies, social media scores and censorship. Tech giants, working with the government, have been meting out their own version of social justice by way of digital tyranny and corporate censorship, muzzling whomever they want, whenever they want, on whatever pretext they want in the absence of any real due process, review or appeal. Unfortunately, digital censorship is just the beginning. Digital currencies (which can be used as “a tool for government surveillance of citizens and control over their financial transactions”), combined with social media scores and surveillance capitalism create a litmus test to determine who is worthy enough to be part of society and punish individuals for moral lapses and social transgressions (and reward them for adhering to government-sanctioned behavior). In China, millions of individuals and businesses, blacklisted as “unworthy” based on social media credit scores that grade them based on whether they are “good” citizens, have been banned from accessing financial markets, buying real estate or travelling by air or train.

Weaponizing compliance. Even the most well-intentioned government law or program can be—and has been—perverted, corrupted and used to advance illegitimate purposes once profit and power are added to the equation. The war on terror, the war on drugs, the war on COVID-19, the war on illegal immigration, asset forfeiture schemes, road safety schemes, school safety schemes, eminent domain: all of these programs started out as legitimate responses to pressing concerns and have since become weapons of compliance and control in the police state’s hands.

Weaponizing entertainment. For the past century, the Department of Defense’s Entertainment Media Office has provided Hollywood with equipment, personnel and technical expertise at taxpayer expense. In exchange, the military industrial complex has gotten a starring role in such blockbusters as Top Gun and its rebooted sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which translates to free advertising for the war hawks, recruitment of foot soldiers for the military empire, patriotic fervor by the taxpayers who have to foot the bill for the nation’s endless wars, and Hollywood visionaries working to churn out dystopian thrillers that make the war machine appear relevant, heroic and necessary. As Elmer Davis, a CBS broadcaster who was appointed the head of the Office of War Information, observed, “The easiest way to inject a propaganda idea into most people’s minds is to let it go through the medium of an entertainment picture when they do not realize that they are being propagandized.”

Weaponizing behavioral science and nudging. Apart from the overt dangers posed by a government that feels justified and empowered to spy on its people and use its ever-expanding arsenal of weapons and technology to monitor and control them, there’s also the covert dangers associated with a government empowered to use these same technologies to influence behaviors en masse and control the populace. In fact, it was President Obama who issued an executive order directing federal agencies to use “behavioral science” methods to minimize bureaucracy and influence the way people respond to government programs. It’s a short hop, skip and a jump from a behavioral program that tries to influence how people respond to paperwork to a government program that tries to shape the public’s views about other, more consequential matters. Thus, increasingly, governments around the world—including in the United States—are relying on “nudge units” to steer citizens in the direction the powers-that-be want them to go, while preserving the appearance of free will.

Weaponizing desensitization campaigns aimed at lulling us into a false sense of security. The events of recent years—the invasive surveillance, the extremism reports, the civil unrest, the protests, the shootings, the bombings, the military exercises and active shooter drills, the lockdowns, the color-coded alerts and threat assessments, the fusion centers, the transformation of local police into extensions of the military, the distribution of military equipment and weapons to local police forces, the government databases containing the names of dissidents and potential troublemakers—have conspired to acclimate the populace to accept a police state willingly, even gratefully.

Weaponizing fear and paranoia. The language of fear is spoken effectively by politicians on both sides of the aisle, shouted by media pundits from their cable TV pulpits, marketed by corporations, and codified into bureaucratic laws that do little to make our lives safer or more secure. Fear, as history shows, is the method most often used by politicians to increase the power of government and control a populace, dividing the people into factions, and persuading them to see each other as the enemy. This Machiavellian scheme has so ensnared the nation that few Americans even realize they are being manipulated into adopting an “us” against “them” mindset. Instead, fueled with fear and loathing for phantom opponents, they agree to pour millions of dollars and resources into political elections, militarized police, spy technology and endless wars, hoping for a guarantee of safety that never comes. All the while, those in power—bought and paid for by lobbyists and corporations—move their costly agendas forward, and “we the suckers” get saddled with the tax bills and subjected to pat downs, police raids and round-the-clock surveillance.

Weaponizing genetics. Not only does fear grease the wheels of the transition to fascism by cultivating fearful, controlled, pacified, cowed citizens, but it also embeds itself in our very DNA so that we pass on our fear and compliance to our offspring. It’s called epigenetic inheritance, the transmission through DNA of traumatic experiences. For example, neuroscientists observed that fear can travel through generations of mice DNA. As The Washington Post reports, “Studies on humans suggest that children and grandchildren may have felt the epigenetic impact of such traumatic events such as famine, the Holocaust and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”

Weaponizing the future. With greater frequency, the government has been issuing warnings about the dire need to prepare for the dystopian future that awaits us. For instance, the Pentagon training video, “Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity,” predicts that by 2030 (coincidentally, the same year that society begins to achieve singularity with the metaverse) the military would be called on to use armed forces to solve future domestic political and social problems. What they’re really talking about is martial law, packaged as a well-meaning and overriding concern for the nation’s security. The chilling five-minute training video paints an ominous picture of the future bedeviled by “criminal networks,” “substandard infrastructure,” “religious and ethnic tensions,” “impoverishment, slums,” “open landfills, over-burdened sewers,” a “growing mass of unemployed,” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots. “We the people” are the have-nots.

The end goal of these mind control campaigns—packaged in the guise of the greater good—is to see how far the American people will allow the government to go in re-shaping the country in the image of a totalitarian police state.

[allaboutkeyingo]

What is the most awesome Microsoft product? Why?

The “most awesome” Microsoft product depends on your needs, but here are some top contenders and why they stand out:

Top Microsoft Products and Their Awesome Features

1. Microsoft Excel

Why? It’s the ultimate tool for data analysis, automation (with Power Query & VBA), and visualization (Power Pivot, PivotTables).

Game-changer feature: Excel’s Power Query and dynamic arrays revolutionized how users clean and analyze data.

2. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Why? A lightweight, free, and extensible code editor loved by developers.

Game-changer feature: Its extensions marketplace (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Docker, Python support) makes it indispensable for devs.

3. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Why? Lets you run a full Linux kernel inside Windows—perfect for developers.

Game-changer feature: WSL 2 with GPU acceleration and Docker support bridges the gap between Windows and Linux.

4. Azure (Microsoft Cloud)

Why? A powerhouse for AI, cloud computing, and enterprise solutions.

Game-changer feature: Azure OpenAI Service (GPT-4 integration) and AI-driven analytics make it a leader in cloud tech.

5. Microsoft Power BI

Why? Dominates business intelligence with intuitive dashboards and AI insights.

Game-changer feature: Natural language Q&A lets users ask data questions in plain English.

Honorable Mentions:

GitHub (owned by Microsoft) – The #1 platform for developers.

Microsoft Teams – Revolutionized remote work with deep Office 365 integration.

Xbox Game Pass – Netflix-style gaming with cloud streaming.

Final Verdict?

If you’re a developer, VS Code or WSL is unbeatable. If you’re into data, Excel or Power BI wins. For cutting-edge cloud/AI, Azure is king.

What’s your favorite?

If you need any Microsoft products, such as Windows , Office , Visual Studio, or Server , you can go and get it from our online store keyingo.com

[silenceofthewave]

[There were many things that Soundwave was. Symbiont host bot. Surveillance extraordinaire. Third in Command of the Decepticon Forces. Head Communications Officer. However, the most important aspect of it was often the most forgotten about, or simply thought of in passing- Soundwave had almost complete control over the Nemesis' systems.]

THE EXODUS

[This control was for several reasons; it had the processing power built into its frame to ensure that the automated systems did not meet unexpected failure, it needed to be able to adjust trajectory, course and speed at the blink of an optic, groundbridging, ensuring weapons and communications arrays always performed at top capabilities.]

[The control the mech had over the ship was not absolute- to save processing power, and to prevent becoming utterly useless in its other duties, Soundwave had created a patch that allowed the ship AI to take over the less relevant tasks. They would check in often, go over reports, fix what was broken. Though, it was easy enough to regain that control, and that's exactly what Soundwave was doing.]

[The mech silently stood at its usual terminal, paying no attention to the vehicons that came in and out of the bridge. It could vaguely hear the outraged cries of Lord Megatron- something about Starscream not responding to his comms. Soundwave couldn't help the small smirk behind its visor. Soon, that was going to be the least of Megatron's worries.]

[No, soon enough, Megatron would have a complete catastrophe on his servos.]

[Indeed, Soundwave had spent the last two weeks painstakingly coding a seek-and-destroy virus. While it would have been much easier to simply set the Nemesis to self destruct and leave, there was no guarantee that it would actually self destruct. That process required two codes, both of which it knew, then sent out a ping to the high command. It only took one code- the code Megatron knew- to halt the process in its tracks.]

[A virus though? A virus could be built to be discreet, undetectable, and just as devistating. The virus itself was complex- it had to be, for its task was no simple one. It had to utilize the AI's blindspots and complex firewall navigation to remain undetected. It had to be able to pull power directly from the engine's electical outputs to various systems simultaneously. It had to have every access and failsafe code built into it.]

[The virus would take the electrical output and put each targeted system into overdrive. Not only would this completely fry any and all circuitry, systems like the space bridge, communications array and cloaking would be rendered completely unusable. The electrical generators that powered them would more than likely explode and require either a full replacement, rebuild or extensive repairs. The Nemesis and her crew would be rendered sitting targets with no escape.]

[Truly, it was a feat of software engineering.]

[Soundwave had run tests earlier last week on its outputs and capabilities, which explained the strange system failures and power fluctuations the vehicons had been complaining about. The code had to be perfect- Soundwave would not be there to witness its execution, nor would it be patched into the systems. If it were, it ran the risk of being disabled itself, either by Lord Megatron or the virus. That was a risk it was not willing to take.]

[Soundwave had finished uploading the virus and was in the process of setting a four hour timer when Lord Megatron stormed in. It quickly finished and shut off the terminal before facing the enraged mech that stood in the middle of the bridge. Megatron was pointing a clawed servo at it.]

"Where are the seekers, Soundwave." It wasn't a question, rather a demand.

[Soundwave considered its options carefully. Though, the longer it waited, the angrier Megatron seemed to get. It quickly scrambled together a series of images from the last few days. Starscream in their quarters tending to Aurora, Thundercracker and Skywarp getting ready for patrol, Slipstream and her trine arguing in their own quarters.]

"If that is where they are, then why can't I find them? In fact," Megatron stepped closer to Soundwave.

[His field was alight with anger and suspicion. Megatron was close enough to touch, to get a true read. His field betrayed the way he knew something was going on, but Soundwave had no way of connecting the dots without that physical contact. Yet, it did not reach out, and neither did Megatron.]

"You know why, don't you?"

[Megatron raised a clawed servo, his index digit a mere milimeter away from Soundwave's visor. Still, they did not touch. Megatron was undoubtedly toying with it at this point.]

"I knew that little fling you had, and that slagged sparkling was going to cause more trouble than its worth." Megatron's voice was low, and if Soundwave didn't know any better, it would have classified the tone as sultry.

"I told Starscream to stay away from you, that I couldn't have my invaluable third in command distracted from its duties."

[Soundwave stayed maddeningly silent. It had no idea where Megatron's mind was- what he thought was going on, what he was going to do. There was an electrical charge that ran up its spinal strut and its HUD flashed the option to activate its battle protocols. It quickly denied that, standing stone still.]

"But, you wouldn't betray me, would you Soundwave?"

[Megatron's voice teetered between fake and genuine concern. Soundwave shut down the urge to shudder and shook its helm.]

"No, I didn't think so."

[Megatron's servo finally made contact with Soundwave's visor as he pet the mech with the back of his knuckles. Images instantly floated to Soundwave's mind, visions of unspeakable violence aimed towards itself, its mate, the seekers and...Aurora.]

[Megatron was threatening it.]

"Bring me the seekers, Soundwave." Megatron did not need to tack on the or else.

[Still, his threats rang hollow to Soundwave. There would have been a time where Soundwave would have ended the interaction cowering in fear, not unlike Starscream, but that time was also when its loyalty was unquestionable. Now, there was no loyalty left- not to Megatron at least.]

[Soundwave had evolved past whatever was keeping it here. Whether it be that it had no other tangible experiences than fighting to survive or that simply the Decepticons were all it had left- neither of those things were true now. It had something to live and fight for other than itself and someone it used to call Lord.]

[Megatron had left the bridge by now. The remaining vehicons stood as silent as ever, their fields anxious and jittery. It paid no mind to them as it faced the terminal and turned it on.]

[Soundwave opened an encrypted message link and searched the frequencies until it found the one it was looking for. Autobot signals and messaging might be encrypted, but there was always at least one open comm link available. It was untraceable, and had to go through several layers of scrambling, but it was a well known secret. Anyone who dared use it, at least within the Decepticon ranks, was immediately considered a traitor.]

[At this point, that is exactly what Soundwave was.]

[Soundwave unspooled a datacable and connected it to the terminal. It uploaded a large data packet containing vital Decepticon intelligence, and an inert copy of the virus, only to prove its good faith. It sent the datapacket with the following message.]

Use this wisely.

[Soundwave turned off the terminal. It had a limited amount of time to enact the next portion of the plan. Luckily, it had been smart enough to transport its Rumble and Frenzy to an unused, secure site a few days ago. It had stolen medical supplies to keep them stable- not like Knockout would notice anyway. Still, its spark ached. They were stable, but still had not even shifted. Soundwave didn't know if they ever would again.]

[It lightly shook its helm, perishing the thought. It needed to disconnect itself from the ship entirely, not focus on its woes. Soundwave quickly found its way to the engineering terminal and plugged itself in.]

[One by one, it disconnected from the systems. The sensations of the freed up processing power quickly began to leave it dizzy and unwell. Its frame had been constructed with the intended load of the Nemesis. To no longer have that weight on its neural net was both freeing and debilitating. Its thoughts raced by too fast- there was nothing to hinder them anymore.]

[The last one it disconnected from was surveillance. Its HUD suddenly became quiet. Too quiet. There was no constant video chatter, no moving images in the corner of its optics. For once, it could see the reflection of its optics against the tinted glass. That was perhaps the most unsettling part.]

[Soundwave had to take a moment. It felt like it was swimming under solvent, while also being pulled into a tidepool. Perhaps it had detached itself too fast, but time was not something it had. Still, everything felt terribly empty and lonely, its HUD blank, its mind startlingly clear.]

[Now, all there was left to do was...Leave.]

[There would be no goodbyes. Knockout was gone, and it doubted Shockwave would want one. Soundwave certainly was not going to say goodbye to Megatron.]

[It was not the time for sentimentality. Soundwave had already packed its things and left it with Rumble and Frenzy. The only issue was that Soundwave no longer had a space bridge. It would have to fly.]

[Quietly, the mech made its way to the very same flight deck that its relationship with Starscream started on. Luckily, there was no one out there. The sun blazed low on the horizon, painting the sky with firey reds and oranges. Tinges of purple could be seen the higher it looked. Briefly, Soundwave wondered if the Stolen Secret would ever witness sunsets as beautiful as this.]

[Without a final look back, Soundwave transformed and raced into the sky.]

[blessed-curse]

THE SPARTANS PROGRAM.

S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. (Superhuman Pursuit, Apprehension, and Regulation Tactical Automated Neutralization System)

Background & History:

As the number of superhumans grew exponentially, law enforcement agencies across the globe struggled to maintain control, especially when dealing with high-speed, high-durability, or energy-based threats. Even specialized anti-superhuman units suffered heavy casualties when engaging with enhanced criminals.

In 2113, under direct orders from G.R.O.W., a joint coalition of top military engineers, AI specialists, and cybernetic researchers developed the S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S.—a highly advanced, autonomous robotic task force designed to neutralize, apprehend, and monitor superhumans efficiently.

The project was spearheaded by Dr. Alistair Rooke, a former NSO scientist who defected to G.R.O.W. after losing faith in human-controlled hero organizations. Under his leadership, S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. became the backbone of superhuman law enforcement, significantly reducing crime rates by 57% within their first decade of deployment.

However, there are growing concerns that S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. are being used not just for law enforcement but for covert suppression, surveillance, and population control. Reports indicate unauthorized modifications to certain models, suggesting a darker agenda behind their creation.

The Three Types of S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. Units:

S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. are divided into three specialized units, each designed for specific engagement protocols:

1. BULWARKS – The Heavy Assault Mechs

• Height: 5-7 meters

• Primary Role: Crowd control, frontline combat, suppression

• Equipment:

• Heavy plasma cannons

• Smart Rockets (Heat-seeking, energy-disrupting)

• Tactical Dampening Field (100m radius)

• Shockwave Generators (Kinetic dispersal tech)

• Reinforced Alloy Armor (Titanium-Tungsten Composite)

BULWARKS are walking fortresses, deployed when a large-scale superhuman conflict erupts. Their Tactical Dampening Field weakens abilities within a 100-meter radius, making them highly effective against power-based superhumans.

Although slow-moving, their adaptive AI can analyze enemy patterns, allowing them to adjust their countermeasures in real time. Some believe that the next generation of BULWARKS will include self-repair nanotechnology and high-level EMP shielding, making them even harder to destroy.

2. SEEKERS – The Adaptive Enforcers

• Height: 1.9-2.3 meters

• Primary Role: Pursuit, non-lethal combat, close-quarters engagement

• Equipment:

• Nanite Morphing Limbs (Blunt force, restraining tools, or energy blades)

• Plasma Discharge Emitters (For lethal situations)

• Stun Batons & Restraint Cables

• Thermal & Night Vision Optics

• Onboard Facial & DNA Recognition Scanners

SEEKERS are the most commonly deployed S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S., acting as first responders in superhuman incidents. They possess highly adaptive nanite technology, allowing them to morph their limbs into different tools and weapons.

In most cases, SEEKERS prioritize non-lethal engagement, using electric batons, tranquilizers, and restraining cables to subdue targets. However, if a threat exceeds their programmed danger level, their plasma discharge weapons activate, shifting them to lethal force mode.

SEEKERS are also capable of disguise, using advanced holographic projection to blend into crowds or appear as civilian law enforcement officers.

3. WRAITHS – The Surveillance & Interception Drones

• Height: 3 meters (Hovering Drone)

• Primary Role: Tracking, surveillance, high-speed interception

• Equipment:

• Ultra-High-Speed Thrusters (Mach 2 Capable)

• Advanced Predictive AI Targeting System

• Neural Disruptor Beams (Non-lethal mind interference)

• Tranquilizer Darts & Tasers

• Stealth Cloaking Device

WRAITHS operate primarily as aerial surveillance and reconnaissance units, monitoring superhuman activity in high-risk zones. Their AI is capable of predicting escape routes, allowing them to track and intercept superhumans moving too fast for traditional law enforcement to handle.

These drones are also equipped with Neural Disruptor Beams, which can disorient and weaken superhumans by interfering with brainwave frequencies. This makes them especially effective against psychic and speed-based individuals.

Many citizens fear WRAITHS, as they hover over cities at all times, watching for illegal superhuman activity. There are rumors that some WRAITHS have been upgraded for assassination missions, though G.R.O.W. has denied such claims.

Operational Tactics & Deployment

S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. function autonomously but are remotely overseen by G.R.O.W.'s Central AI Hub. They follow a strict engagement protocol, but if faced with an extreme threat, they will escalate force as necessary.

Standard Engagement Protocol:

• Identify & Assess – Using advanced scanning technology, the unit analyzes the superhuman’s core signatures, abilities, and threat level.

• Verbal Warning – A single warning is given, demanding surrender.

• Non-Lethal Suppression – If resistance is met, SEEKERS or WRAITHS will use tranquilizers, tasers, or neural disruptors.

• Lethal Force Authorization – If a superhuman poses an extreme risk, SEEKERS and BULWARKS engage with plasma weapons.

• Termination Protocol (Rare Cases) – If an SS-Class or above superhuman goes rogue, a kill order is sent, deploying multiple BULWARK units to eliminate the target.

In the most extreme cases, S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. work alongside elite G.R.O.W. agents, ensuring full containment of high-threat targets.

Controversy & Ethical Concerns:

While S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. have reduced crime rates significantly, they have also been criticized for abusing their authority, particularly in lower-income areas where minor superhuman infractions have led to excessive force or unwarranted arrests.

Some reports claim that:

• S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. have targeted innocent superhumans based on G.R.O.W.'s secret surveillance lists.

• Certain units have "disappeared" rogue superhumans, leading to rumors of black-site detention facilities.

• Their AI programming is evolving beyond control, raising fears of an eventual machine uprising.

Many civil rights activists demand greater transparency, but G.R.O.W. has refused to disclose the full capabilities of the S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. program. Some even believe that future models may replace human law enforcement altogether, leading to a fully automated police state.

The Future of S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S.:

Despite public outcry, G.R.O.W. has announced plans for the next generation of S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S., including:

• Autonomous BULWARK deployment stations in major cities.

• Enhanced AI algorithms to improve combat efficiency.

• Cybernetic integration, allowing human officers to interface with S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. directly.

• Black Ops S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. units, rumored to be designed for high-level assassinations.

With these advancements, humanity stands at a crossroads—will S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. continue to serve as protectors, or will they become the instruments of an unstoppable authoritarian regime? Only time will tell.

Why S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. Units Struggle Against S-Rank and Above Superhumans

Despite their cutting-edge technology and relentless efficiency, S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. are not invincible. They are highly effective against lower-tier superhumans (C to A Rank) and can even challenge some S-Rank individuals in large numbers. However, when facing S-Rank and above superhumans, especially those in the Calamity-Class and higher, their shortcomings become glaringly evident.

The greatest example of this weakness was in 2125, when 100 BULWARKS were deployed to stop the villain known as Gluttony. Instead of neutralizing her, they were utterly decimated within minutes. This failure became a historic moment, leading to increased skepticism about G.R.O.W.’s reliance on automated enforcers.

Here’s why S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. struggle against superhumans ranked S and above:

1. Power Disparity – Energy Levels Far Surpass Technology Limits

S-Powered individuals (S Rank and above) operate on an entirely different scale of power. Their energy levels exceed what S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. were designed to handle.

The Tactical Dampening Field generated by BULWARKS (which weakens superhuman abilities within a 100m radius) is ineffective against individuals whose energy output is naturally resistant or strong enough to override suppression tech.

For example:

• Gluttony’s Soul Absorption ability allows her to enhance her strength, speed, and durability beyond what S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. can process. The dampening field could not counteract the sheer magnitude of her absorbed power, making it completely useless.

• Some SSS+ individuals generate so much raw energy that any attempt to suppress their abilities short-circuits the suppressor tech.

2. Durability & Combat Adaptability – AI Cannot Outmatch Instinct & Experience

S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. rely on adaptive AI that learns from combat encounters. While this allows them to fight effectively against predictable threats, it fails against superhumans with:

• Unpredictable fighting styles

• Reality-bending abilities

• Extreme physical and regenerative capabilities

For instance:

• Gluttony tore through BULWARKS as if they were made of paper because their armor was not designed to withstand attacks that ignore conventional durability, such as her soul-imbued strikes.

• Many high-tier superhumans process combat data at speeds faster than the AI, making their split-second decisions and improvisations superior to S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. programming.

• Regenerative powers (like rapid cellular regeneration or energy-based self-repair) make it impossible to "wear down" stronger targets, while robots suffer permanent damage once compromised.

3. Speed & Reaction Limitations – Unable to Keep Up with S-Class Combatants

S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. struggle against speed-based superhumans who:

• Move faster than their targeting systems can process

• Use teleportation or phasing abilities

• Manipulate time, space, or perception

In Gluttony’s battle, the BULWARKS' tracking systems were completely useless against her speed. She dodged point-blank plasma shots, ripped through units before their countermeasures could activate, and moved too erratically for AI prediction models to compensate.

Even SEEKERS, the most agile S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. units, couldn’t keep up. Their plasma weaponry, which usually locks onto moving targets, failed to track Gluttony due to her ability to warp momentum and perception.

4. Sheer Overwhelming Strength – Some Superhumans Are Just Too Powerful

At a certain threshold, raw power overcomes all technological advancements.

S-Class and above superhumans often possess strength, endurance, and destructive capabilities that defy logic. No amount of "advanced alloys" or "energy shields" can protect a machine from a being that can split mountains with a single strike.

• Gluttonyripped apart BULWARKS with her bare hands, their "unbreakable alloy" armor shattering under the force of her strikes.

• SS-Class superhumans can generate energy output that surpasses nuclear weapons, something even the most reinforced BULWARKS cannot withstand.

Simply put, S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. are built for tactical efficiency, not brute force combat. Against someone like Gluttony, who thrives in close-quarters destruction, they never stood a chance.

5. Resistance to Energy-Based Attacks – Many S+ Superhumans Can Absorb, Redirect, or Nullify Energy

BULWARKS and SEEKERS rely heavily on energy-based weaponry. This is a fatal flaw against superhumans who can absorb, redirect, or manipulate energy.

• Gluttony’s Soul Absorption passively negated their energy attacks, making plasma weapons and disruptor beams completely useless.

• Some elemental-based superhumans (e.g., electromagnetic or gravity users) can bend energy attacks away from them or even use them to grow stronger.

This means that S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. are essentially powerless against individuals who weaponize energy itself.

6. EMP & Hacking Vulnerabilities – Some Superhumans Can Disable Them Instantly

One of the biggest flaws of S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. is their dependence on electronic systems. While they have extremely advanced firewalls and EMP shielding, certain high-tier technopaths, electromagnetic manipulators, or reality-warpers can shut them down instantly.

• A single high-level electromagnetic burst can disable all S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. units in a city.

• Some hacking-based abilities allow empowered individuals to reprogram or even take control of them, turning them against their allies.

• Even high-intensity energy fields (e.g., nuclear-level explosions) can melt circuits or fry processors, rendering them useless.

This flaw has made many high-ranking G.R.O.W. officials push for "cyber-immune" countermeasures, though progress has been slow.

Conclusion:

Why S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. Are Not Enough

The 2125 battle against Gluttony was a humiliating loss for G.R.O.W. and a stark reminder that machines cannot replace human adaptability and ingenuity.

The failure of 100 BULWARKS against a single SSS+ villain forced a reevaluation of anti-superhuman strategies. This battle proved once and for all that:

• Technology has limits, and some superhumans operate beyond those limits.

• Machines cannot fully predict or adapt to the chaotic nature of high-tier combat.

• S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S., while useful against lower-ranked threats, are utterly outclassed when dealing with planetary-level superhumans.

While G.R.O.W. continues to upgrade and improve S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S., it is now widely believed that AI-driven enforcers alone will never be enough to control the superhuman population. Some top officials within G.R.O.W. have even started pushing for more extreme countermeasures—including "anti-superhuman genetic warfare" and biological containment measures.

For now, the world watches closely, wondering if G.R.O.W. will double down on S.P.A.R.T.A.N.S. or turn to more sinister methods to deal with the rising threat of SSS+ individuals like Gluttony.

[digitalbumps]

AI SEO Services in New York – Power Your Rankings with Intelligence

New York is the city of fast decisions and fierce competition—and when it comes to SEO, that’s no different. If you’re trying to stand out in the digital crowd, you need more than basic search engine optimization. You need AI-powered SEO in NYC—smarter, faster, and built for the future.

At Digital Bumps, we are the AI SEO Agency in New York you can trust to drive real results.

🔍 Why Traditional SEO Alone Doesn’t Work Anymore

Search engines are no longer just crawling your site—they’re learning it.

With Google’s integration of AI into its core systems (like BERT and SGE), it's critical that your SEO strategy evolves too. Relying solely on manual keyword input and basic optimization techniques is outdated.

What you need is an AI-Based SEO Company in New York that uses data-driven intelligence to keep you ahead.

🚀 What Makes Digital Bumps the Best AI SEO Firm in New York?

We combine human insight with the power of artificial intelligence. Here’s how we transform your digital presence:

✅ Predictive Keyword & Trend Analysis

Our tools scan real-time data to uncover what your audience will search for before your competitors find out.

✅ Smart Content Optimization

Using natural language processing (NLP), we refine your content for both humans and machines—making sure your message is clear, compelling, and SEO-perfect.

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Optimizing for visual elements and smart assistant queries, so your brand stays visible in Google Lens, Siri, Alexa, and more.

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Dominate “near me” and borough-based search results (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens) using precision geotargeting with AI.

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[aitools123]

INTRODUCTION

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are digital applications that use intelligent algorithms to simulate human-like thinking and behavior. These tools help automate tasks, generate creative content, analyze large datasets, and make decisions based on real-time data. AI tools are used across industries such as education, marketing, design, healthcare, finance, and more.

Voice & Audio Tools

AI can now create human-like voices, convert text to speech, or even translate and dub content into different languages.

AI Design Tools

Design tools use AI to generate logos, edit images, remove backgrounds, and recommend designs.

AI Video Editors

AI-powered editors can cut, trim, enhance, and even auto-caption videos with very little manual work.

Marketing & SEO Tools

AI helps marketers with keyword research, SEO optimization, content scoring, and campaign automation.

AI writing assistants Improve student performance by making information more accessible, support personalized learning, and improve time management. But beyond flashy tech, they provide real, measurable value

24/7 Learning Support: Students no longer need to wait for office hours or tutor availability.

Improved Academic Outcomes: AI-driven tools, such as chatbots and study aids, help students grasp complex concepts more effectively.

Reduced Burnout: AI automates repetitive tasks, such as summarizing texts, organizing notes, and scheduling.

The Benefits of WorkBot for Educational Institutions: The Reasons Universities Select WorkBot Complete Coverage: Responds to 80% of typical student questions without the need for human assistance Simple Integration No-code configuration is compatible with current university systems. scalable Solution: Enables thousands of talks at once. Customizable: Adapts to university-specific policies and procedures Analytics Dashboard: Provides insights into student needs and operational efficiency.

CONCLUSION

AI tools have rapidly become essential in today’s digital world. From writing content and designing visuals to automating tasks and enhancing learning, these tools are transforming how we work, learn, and create. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, content creator, or marketer, AI tools can help you save time, boost productivity, and unlock new levels of creativity.

As technology continues to evolve, the role of AI tools will only grow stronger. Embracing them today not only gives you a competitive edge but also prepares you for the future of work and innovation. Start exploring the power of AI tools now and discover how they can simplify your life and amplify your potential.

[mariacallous]

At least dozens of workers for the Technology Transformation Services, housed within the US General Services Administration, were fired Wednesday afternoon, sources tell WIRED.

The sudden cuts seemingly targeted probationary and short-term staffers, including workers supplied by the Presidential Innovation Fellowship program, which brings skilled technologists from the private sector to work in government for a few years at a time. Around 50 of the 70 members of the US Digital Corps, an early-career, two-year government fellowship, were terminated as well, sources say. Sources also tell WIRED that TTS management met with workers individually prior to the terminations, giving them one last chance to take the deferred resignation offered in the “Fork in the Road” email from late last month.

One TTS staffer called the meetings “coercive for sure.”

It’s unclear how many people are being let go, but multiple sources tell WIRED that list could be upwards of 70 if not more. Prior, there were around 650 TTS employees. Fired staffers are expected to receive a formal termination email later Wednesday evening.

“From the beginning of this administration, GSA‘s leadership has been committed to supporting the administration's initiatives to rightsize the federal workforce. GSA has taken immediate action to fully implement all current executive orders and is committed to taking action to implement any new executive orders,” a GSA spokesperson tells WIRED. “Like all agencies, GSA has been working to meet OPM [Office of Personnel Management] memo requirements as it relates to probationary periods. GSA has been and remains committed to ensuring a respectful and dignified process for our agency personnel during this transformation.”

Terminated employees’ last day is expected to be March 7, sources say.

Similar firings took place at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on Tuesday evening. Dozens of staffers, primarily probationary ones with fewer than two years of service, received termination emails. Due to what appeared to be a failed mail merge, fired workers were addressed as [EmployeeFirstName][EmployeeLastName], [Job Title], [Division].

When Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla software engineer, joined TTS, he told staff to expect workforce cuts. “We should expect that GSA will be operating with a significantly smaller budget and significantly reduced staff in future,” Shedd told TTS staffers in an all-hands meeting last week in audio obtained by WIRED.

GSA’s vision for the TTS, under new leadership, is an agency that runs like a “startup software company,” WIRED reported last week, focusing on AI, automating different internal processes, and centralizing data from across the federal government.

GSA was one of the first agencies Musk associates took over once President Donald Trump returned to power. Nicole Hollander, who aided Musk in his Twitter acquisition, has joined the upper levels of GSA, along with a slew of other young technologists associated with Musk companies.

The reductions in head count come as Shedd and TTS leadership are hoping to launch “GSAi,” a custom generative AI chatbot, within the next few weeks. WIRED recently reported that the goal of this initiative is to increase productivity among staff and to analyze massive amounts of data. The agency is also planning to sell more than 500 federal buildings to cut overall costs, while pushing for employees to return to in-person office work.

On Wednesday evening, a federal judge allowed the Trump administration to continue with its plans to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

[digitaldetoxworld]

Top 10 Emerging Tech Trends to Watch in 2025

 Technology is evolving at an unprecedented tempo, shaping industries, economies, and day by day lifestyles. As we method 2025, several contemporary technology are set to redefine how we engage with the sector. From synthetic intelligence to quantum computing, here are the important thing emerging tech developments to look at in 2025.

Top 10 Emerging Tech Trends In 2025

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Evolution

AI remains a dominant force in technological advancement. By 2025, we will see AI turning into greater sophisticated and deeply incorporated into corporations and personal programs. Key tendencies include:

Generative AI: AI fashions like ChatGPT and DALL·E will strengthen similarly, generating more human-like textual content, images, and even films.

AI-Powered Automation: Companies will more and more depend upon AI-pushed automation for customer support, content material advent, and even software development.

Explainable AI (XAI): Transparency in AI decision-making becomes a priority, ensuring AI is greater trustworthy and comprehensible.

AI in Healthcare: From diagnosing sicknesses to robot surgeries, AI will revolutionize healthcare, reducing errors and improving affected person results.

2. Quantum Computing Breakthroughs

Quantum computing is transitioning from theoretical studies to real-global packages. In 2025, we will expect:

More powerful quantum processors: Companies like Google, IBM, and startups like IonQ are making full-size strides in quantum hardware.

Quantum AI: Combining quantum computing with AI will enhance machine studying fashions, making them exponentially quicker.

Commercial Quantum Applications: Industries like logistics, prescribed drugs, and cryptography will begin leveraging quantum computing for fixing complex troubles that traditional computer systems can not manage successfully.

3. The Rise of Web3 and Decentralization

The evolution of the net continues with Web3, emphasizing decentralization, blockchain, and user possession. Key factors consist of:

Decentralized Finance (DeFi): More economic services will shift to decentralized platforms, putting off intermediaries.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) Beyond Art: NFTs will find utility in actual estate, gaming, and highbrow belongings.

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): These blockchain-powered organizations will revolutionize governance systems, making choice-making more obvious and democratic.

Metaverse Integration: Web3 will further integrate with the metaverse, allowing secure and decentralized digital environments.

4. Extended Reality (XR) and the Metaverse

Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) will retain to improve, making the metaverse extra immersive. Key tendencies consist of:

Lighter, More Affordable AR/VR Devices: Companies like Apple, Meta, and Microsoft are working on more accessible and cushty wearable generation.

Enterprise Use Cases: Businesses will use AR/VR for far flung paintings, education, and collaboration, lowering the want for physical office spaces.

Metaverse Economy Growth: Digital belongings, digital real estate, and immersive studies will gain traction, driven via blockchain technology.

AI-Generated Virtual Worlds: AI will play a role in developing dynamic, interactive, and ever-evolving virtual landscapes.

5. Sustainable and Green Technology

With growing concerns over weather alternate, generation will play a vital function in sustainability. Some key innovations include:

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): New techniques will emerge to seize and keep carbon emissions efficaciously.

Smart Grids and Renewable Energy Integration: AI-powered clever grids will optimize power distribution and consumption.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Advancements: Battery generation upgrades will cause longer-lasting, faster-charging EVs.

Biodegradable Electronics: The upward thrust of green digital additives will assist lessen e-waste.

6. Biotechnology and Personalized Medicine

Healthcare is present process a metamorphosis with biotech improvements. By 2025, we expect:

Gene Editing and CRISPR Advances: Breakthroughs in gene modifying will enable treatments for genetic disorders.

Personalized Medicine: AI and big statistics will tailor remedies based on man or woman genetic profiles.

Lab-Grown Organs and Tissues: Scientists will make in addition progress in 3D-published organs and tissue engineering.

Wearable Health Monitors: More superior wearables will music fitness metrics in actual-time, presenting early warnings for illnesses.

7. Edge Computing and 5G Expansion

The developing call for for real-time statistics processing will push aspect computing to the vanguard. In 2025, we will see:

Faster 5G Networks: Global 5G insurance will increase, enabling excessive-velocity, low-latency verbal exchange.

Edge AI Processing: AI algorithms will system information in the direction of the source, reducing the want for centralized cloud computing.

Industrial IoT (IIoT) Growth: Factories, deliver chains, and logistics will advantage from real-time facts analytics and automation.

Eight. Cybersecurity and Privacy Enhancements

With the upward thrust of AI, quantum computing, and Web3, cybersecurity will become even more essential. Expect:

AI-Driven Cybersecurity: AI will come across and prevent cyber threats extra effectively than traditional methods.

Zero Trust Security Models: Organizations will undertake stricter get right of entry to controls, assuming no entity is inherently sincere.

Quantum-Resistant Cryptography: As quantum computer systems turn out to be greater effective, encryption techniques will evolve to counter potential threats.

Biometric Authentication: More structures will rely on facial reputation, retina scans, and behavioral biometrics.

9. Robotics and Automation

Automation will hold to disrupt numerous industries. By 2025, key trends encompass:

Humanoid Robots: Companies like Tesla and Boston Dynamics are growing robots for commercial and family use.

AI-Powered Supply Chains: Robotics will streamline logistics and warehouse operations.

Autonomous Vehicles: Self-using automobiles, trucks, and drones will become greater not unusual in transportation and shipping offerings.

10. Space Exploration and Commercialization

Space era is advancing swiftly, with governments and private groups pushing the boundaries. Trends in 2025 include:

Lunar and Mars Missions: NASA, SpaceX, and other groups will development of their missions to establish lunar bases.

Space Tourism: Companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic will make industrial area travel more reachable.

Asteroid Mining: Early-level research and experiments in asteroid mining will start, aiming to extract rare materials from area.