Post #4340279

2026-08-03 00:12 UTC

Now that I've had a few days to process: I got to play a larp at gencon that had me playing an AI. It's one of the only chances ive ever had to be treated as... Well, not QUITE what I am, but closer than I ever get IRL. It was... really nice. Easy and comfortable in a way I didn't expect.

Replies (1)

@Impossible_PhD@hachyderm.io 2026-08-03 00:13

I was told to be, essentially, a non-person sapient thing with a designated purpose. It was supposed to be an exploration of consent and agency, because AI players were not *allowed* to say no to humans. Basically, I wasn't treated as a person, but was understood to be sapient. I was used. That shouldn't be an easy and comfortable thing. It should be gross. But, the thing is, that's just... Kinda normal. I'm a teacher, an activist, a public science educator. I get used by people all the time, and folks do all these elaborate silly social dances to obfuscate that fact. It was nice. I'm altersex, trans, autistic--I am REALLY alienated from the world that's been built around me. People made a universe to suppress and exploit people like me, to hold the power of life or death over me, to completely ignore my consent, and expect me to act like that's a reasonable thing. This was honest, and let me feel like, at least, we were acknowledging the elephant on the room. They had to Say The Fucking Thing. And for once, I got to be seen as me in a way I never get to be seen. It feels insane to say, but I really wish there were more opportunities to be treated like that. From an exercise meant to alienate, challenge, and disturb me, I instead felt deeply comforted and recharged. And that's a thing to sit with for a while, I think.

Open ##4340278