A fiction of the "Department of Superintelligence": nationalization, open-source bans, and AI capex dependency
sterlingcrispin · x · 2026-09-14
Artist Sterling Crispin's speculative future history: after a 2026 Trump-Xi AI summit, the US creates a "Department of Superintelligence" releasing model "Freedom," staffed by AI lab execs and safety figures (MIRI, CAIS, Open Philanthropy). Universal AI Assistance adds $700T annual token demand by 2028; OpenAI and Anthropic cancel IPOs over leveraged finances and get nationalized, capex reaching 10% of GDP. Congress twice attempts open-source bans, citing an Austin biohacker who synthesized a flu strain with an open Chinese model to win a $7k Polymarket bet — while the public, with cancer cured and the economy booming, is exhausted by fear narratives.
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