Things had been getting weird at the dog park. This was unusual; it’s a pretty easygoing place, with a monthly “Yappy Hour” and a large cast of regulars whose donations and volunteer time keep the space clean and welcoming.
So, there was nothing out of the ordinary about a man in his early 30s riding up on an e-bike one day early this past spring with a small, shaggy dog in tow and an iced coffee in hand.
For a week or so, he sat silently. Then, one day, as groups discussed the Eagles, or the best canine probiotics, or whatever else, he spoke up. “I created an app and now the government is trying to shut me down,” he told the person closest to him. He went on: 45 New York City police officers shot him six times for throwing a Molotov cocktail through Google’s headquarters; AI is controlling Philadelphia traffic lights, which are in turn controlling our minds. The more he spoke, the more adamant and agitated he appeared…