Helen Phillips’ third novel, “Hum,” a chilling depiction of a future dominated by artificial intelligence and a scarcity of nature, has been awarded the Climate Fiction prize. The book centers on May, a woman whose livelihood is usurped by a humanoid robot, the titular “hum.”
Facing unemployment, May volunteers for an experimental procedure: an injection that alters her facial features to evade surveillance. Her payment for this allows her to purchase family passes to the Botanical Garden, the city’s last sanctuary of green space. However, her experience there takes a grim turn.
Phillips’ novel offers a stark warning about a future where AI’s influence is pervasive and the natural world is increasingly marginalized, almost as if being curated and presented like a theme park attraction – a concept akin to “Disneyfication.”
English Translation:
“Hum,” the third novel by Helen Phillips, presents a terrifying vision of a future where AI reigns supreme and nature is a scarce commodity. The story features a protagonist whose job is replaced by a humanoid robot.
This novel, exploring themes of artificial intelligence and environmental decline, has earned the Climate Fiction prize. “Hum,” by American author Helen Phillips, tells the story of May, a woman who loses her job to a “hum” – a humanoid robot.
Struggling to find new employment, she becomes a test subject for an experimental injection designed to alter her face, rendering it unrecognizable to surveillance systems. Upon receiving payment, she indulges in family passes to the Botanical Garden, the sole remaining natural haven within her city. It is here that events begin to escalate negatively.
Phillips’ work delves into a future where AI’s control is absolute and the natural environment is increasingly diminished, suggesting a process of artificial curation or “Disneyfication.”