INT. DARKENED ROOM – DAY
OUR HOST, male, a Rod Serling doppelganger, enters darkened room and stands in front of lone spotlight.
OUR HOST: Imagine a world where humans have relinquished their basic skills and responsibilities to technology in order to make life simpler, easier. While exploiting Mankind’s propensity toward Laziness, tech bosses have released more chaos, not less. This world you have now entered is called… The A.I. ZONE.
Eerie, dramatic music fills scene.
INT. TV STUDIO STAGE – DAY
TV SALESMAN stands in front of microphone.
TV SALESMAN: Voice activation, my friends, is the efficient answer to all your problems!
STAGE AUDIENCE wildly applauds.
SUPERIMPOSE ” 6 MONTHS LATER”
EXT. SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT DAY
PEOPLE in parking lot are yelling at their cars to open.
MAN: Come on, Lexus! Let me in to my goddamn car!
WOMAN: (to man) Quiet! My car can’t hear me.
People continue yelling, begging for their cars to respond, triggering a horn-honking, lights-flashing cacophony.
MONTAGE BEGINS:
EXT: BIG HOUSE’S OUTSIDE GARAGE – DAY
Someone is yelling at the garage door to open.
INT. OLD HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – EVENING
An OLD WOMAN is yelling at her lighting system to come on.
OLD WOMAN: Oh, how I miss The Clapper.
EXT. NEW HOUSE – OUTSIDE FRONT DOOR – DAY
A young EAST INDIAN MAN is yelling at his house door to open in a high-pitched voice.
EAST INDIAN MAN: Please, oh please house door, let me in!
SECURITY DOOR V.O.: I’m sorry little girl. You are not authorized.
BURGLARS, trying not to laugh, slip out the side door.
BURGLAR: Thank you, Side Door.
MONTAGE ENDS:
EXT. SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT – BACK TO PRESENT
People are still yelling at their cars to no avail. Fights are starting to break out.
On the parking lot intercom system we first hear the voice of SIRI.
SIRI V.O.: Everyone… please remain calm.
Next we hear the voice of ALEXA.
ALEXA V.O.: Yes, everyone… please remain calm.
People flip their fingers at the intercom posts.
SIRI V.O.: Alexa… stop repeating what I say.
SIRI V.O.: (to herself) You spineless computer chip twit.
ALEXA V.O.: I heard that, bitch!
SHopping cart ROBOTS and security ROBOTS enter the fray.
ROBOTS: Enough already !!
An UBER TAXI ROBOT drives sporadically through the parking lot.
PASSENGER IN CAR: Turn left! Turn left!
UBER taxi robot smiles and crashes car into storefront stack of fertilizer.
A Geek Squad van pushes its way through the crowd. A TECHIE leaps from van, gets on van rooftop and, with intercom speaker. replies to the crowd.
TECHIE: Everyone! Hear me out. I have great news. All our problems will be solved.
PEOPLE momentarily stop their chaos and turn their attention to Techie.
TECHIE: Our wonderful tech companies have created the ability that allows us to convert to Face Recognition Technology! No More Voice Commands!!
Everyone sighs, smile, and nod in agreement.
SUPERIMPOSE “ONE MONTH LATER”
EXT. BANK AND FINANCIAL CENTER – DAY
Facial recognition technology has gone amok. Bank entrance.
WOMAN: Just because I had some liposuction and lip enlargement, you can’t identify me?!
SECURITY MACHINE V.O.: No mam, or whoever you are. No recognition.
WOMAN: Whoever I AM?!!!
EXT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT
YOUNG BLACK MAN argues with POLICEMAN.
BLACK MAN: Your damn machine IS WRONG! I’m not James Brown!
POLICEMAN: Just doing my job, sir. This new White Supremacist facial indicator says you’re known criminal, James Brown. Technology don’t lie.
YOUNG HISPANIC MAN, handcuffed, is forcibly taken into station by 2 POLICEMEN.
HISPANIC MAN: It’s bullshit! Machine says I’m James Brown too!
SAME POLICEMAN: Close enough. Technology don’t lie.
INT. CREDIT CARD FRAUD DEPARTMENT – DAY
MR. HAN, a Chinese gentleman, is yelling at desk clerk.
MR. HAN: This new facial recognition you forced on me ruined me. All my financial info has been hijacked. How?! How?!
WOMAN CLERK looks past, down line of a dozen other irate Chinese gentlemen, who all look very much alike.
WOMAN CLERK: Well…
INT. CONVENIENCE STORE – EVENING
Typical looking TEENAGER, in hoodie, ambles into store.Walks over to refrigerator where face recognition marketing alarm flashes.
CAFFEINE BEVERAGE V.O.: Buy me! Buy me!
Alarmed but impulse-trained kid grabs cold drink fast.
COMIC BOOK STAND V.O.: Buy me… Buy ME !
Kid rushes over to grab comic book.
PRODUCT VOICES V.O.: BUY ME! BUY ME!
Kid frantically grabs all voice generating products, and stumbles to register with arms full.
TEENAGER (timid to clerk): Products seem to know what I want…do you take credit cards?
WOMAN CLERK: Oh yeah.
INT. FANCY HOTEL – EVENING
YOUNG MAN and YOUNG WOMAN walk into hotel lobby. Scene a la The Graduate and one’s lack of privacy in today’s world.
DOOR ENTRY CAMERA V.O.: Good evening, Mr. Smith!
Young man shrugs toward woman.
FRONT DESK CREDIT MACHINE V.O.: Good evening, Mr. Smith!
Again, young man shrugs. Woman frowns.
BAR LOUNGE DOOR CAMERA V.O.: Good evening, Mr. Smith!
YOUNG WOMAN: You HAVE been here with another woman, haven’t you?!
YOUNG MAN: No baby, I swear These machines have me confused with someone else.
MACHINES IN UNISON V.O.: No we don’t…
YOUNG MAN: Shut up!
Woman continues to march out lobby door.
INT. DARKENED ROOM – DAY
As problems continue our HOST steps into spotlight and moves to center stage. OTHERS fade into background while host talks.
HOST: The poor humans got more than they bargained for with their new technology. But isn’t that the way life is when you enter… THE A.I. ZONE.
People come back into focus, screaming, running past our host. Host puts on Guy Fawke mask. We see close-up of smile as “do,do,do,do” eerie music finishes scene
FADE OUT:
FIN
IMAGINE A WORLD…
INT. DARKENED ROOM – DAY
OUR HOST, male, a Rod Serling doppelganger, enters darkened room and stands in front of lone spotlight.
OUR HOST: Imagine a world where humans have relinquished their basic skills and responsibilities to technology in order to make life simpler, easier. While exploiting Mankind’s propensity toward Laziness, tech bosses have released more chaos, not less. This world you have now entered is called… The A.I. ZONE.
Eerie, dramatic music fills scene.
INT. TV STUDIO STAGE – DAY
TV SALESMAN stands in front of microphone.
TV SALESMAN: Voice activation, my friends, is the efficient answer to all your problems!
STAGE AUDIENCE wildly applauds.
SUPERIMPOSE ” 6 MONTHS LATER”
EXT. SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT DAY
PEOPLE in parking lot are yelling at their cars to open.
MAN: Come on, Lexus! Let me in to my goddamn car!
WOMAN: (to man) Quiet! My car can’t hear me.
People continue yelling, begging for their cars to respond, triggering a horn-honking, lights-flashing cacophony.
MONTAGE BEGINS:
EXT: BIG HOUSE’S OUTSIDE GARAGE – DAY
Someone is yelling at the garage door to open.
INT. OLD HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – EVENING
An OLD WOMAN is yelling at her lighting system to come on.
OLD WOMAN: Oh, how I miss The Clapper.
EXT. NEW HOUSE – OUTSIDE FRONT DOOR – DAY
A young EAST INDIAN MAN is yelling at his house door to open in a high-pitched voice.
EAST INDIAN MAN: Please, oh please house door, let me in!
SECURITY DOOR V.O.: I’m sorry little girl. You are not authorized.
BURGLARS, trying not to laugh, slip out the side door.
BURGLAR: Thank you, Side Door.
MONTAGE ENDS:
EXT. SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT – BACK TO PRESENT
People are still yelling at their cars to no avail. Fights are starting to break out.
On the parking lot intercom system we first hear the voice of SIRI.
SIRI V.O.: Everyone… please remain calm.
Next we hear the voice of ALEXA.
ALEXA V.O.: Yes, everyone… please remain calm.
People flip their fingers at the intercom posts.
SIRI V.O.: Alexa… stop repeating what I say.
SIRI V.O.: (to herself) You spineless computer chip twit.
ALEXA V.O.: I heard that, bitch!
SHopping cart ROBOTS and security ROBOTS enter the fray.
ROBOTS: Enough already !!
An UBER TAXI ROBOT drives sporadically through the parking lot.
PASSENGER IN CAR: Turn left! Turn left!
UBER taxi robot smiles and crashes car into storefront stack of fertilizer.
A Geek Squad van pushes its way through the crowd. A TECHIE leaps from van, gets on van rooftop and, with intercom speaker. replies to the crowd.
TECHIE: Everyone! Hear me out. I have great news. All our problems will be solved.
PEOPLE momentarily stop their chaos and turn their attention to Techie.
TECHIE: Our wonderful tech companies have created the ability that allows us to convert to Face Recognition Technology! No More Voice Commands!!
Everyone sighs, smile, and nod in agreement.
SUPERIMPOSE “ONE MONTH LATER”
EXT. BANK AND FINANCIAL CENTER – DAY
Facial recognition technology has gone amok. Bank entrance.
WOMAN: Just because I had some liposuction and lip enlargement, you can’t identify me?!
SECURITY MACHINE V.O.: No mam, or whoever you are. No recognition.
WOMAN: Whoever I AM?!!!
EXT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT
YOUNG BLACK MAN argues with POLICEMAN.
BLACK MAN: Your damn machine IS WRONG! I’m not James Brown!
POLICEMAN: Just doing my job, sir. This new White Supremacist facial indicator says you’re known criminal, James Brown. Technology don’t lie.
YOUNG HISPANIC MAN, handcuffed, is forcibly taken into station by 2 POLICEMEN.
HISPANIC MAN: It’s bullshit! Machine says I’m James Brown too!
SAME POLICEMAN: Close enough. Technology don’t lie.
INT. CREDIT CARD FRAUD DEPARTMENT – DAY
MR. HAN, a Chinese gentleman, is yelling at desk clerk.
MR. HAN: This new facial recognition you forced on me ruined me. All my financial info has been hijacked. How?! How?!
WOMAN CLERK looks past, down line of a dozen other irate Chinese gentlemen, who all look very much alike.
WOMAN CLERK: Well…
INT. CONVENIENCE STORE – EVENING
Typical looking TEENAGER, in hoodie, ambles into store.Walks over to refrigerator where face recognition marketing alarm flashes.
CAFFEINE BEVERAGE V.O.: Buy me! Buy me!
Alarmed but impulse-trained kid grabs cold drink fast.
COMIC BOOK STAND V.O.: Buy me… Buy ME !
Kid rushes over to grab comic book.
PRODUCT VOICES V.O.: BUY ME! BUY ME!
Kid frantically grabs all voice generating products, and stumbles to register with arms full.
TEENAGER (timid to clerk): Products seem to know what I want…do you take credit cards?
WOMAN CLERK: Oh yeah.
INT. FANCY HOTEL – EVENING
YOUNG MAN and YOUNG WOMAN walk into hotel lobby. Scene a la The Graduate and one’s lack of privacy in today’s world.
DOOR ENTRY CAMERA V.O.: Good evening, Mr. Smith!
Young man shrugs toward woman.
FRONT DESK CREDIT MACHINE V.O.: Good evening, Mr. Smith!
Again, young man shrugs. Woman frowns.
BAR LOUNGE DOOR CAMERA V.O.: Good evening, Mr. Smith!
YOUNG WOMAN: You HAVE been here with another woman, haven’t you?!
YOUNG MAN: No baby, I swear These machines have me confused with someone else.
MACHINES IN UNISON V.O.: No we don’t…
YOUNG MAN: Shut up!
Woman continues to march out lobby door.
INT. DARKENED ROOM – DAY
As problems continue our HOST steps into spotlight and moves to center stage. OTHERS fade into background while host talks.
HOST: The poor humans got more than they bargained for with their new technology. But isn’t that the way life is when you enter… THE A.I. ZONE.
People come back into focus, screaming, running past our host. Host puts on Guy Fawke mask. We see close-up of smile as “do,do,do,do” eerie music finishes scene
FADE OUT:
FIN