Alternate 1865: Steam-Powered AI Agents and Britain's 'Red Tie Act' Output Cap
azmackay · x · 2026-10-30
An alternate-history riff: AI agents arrive in 1865 powered by steam, and the British Parliament responds with the Automatic Agents Act — the "Red Tie Act." Every machine needs continuous human supervision, output is capped at 212 words per minute, and every supervisor must wear a red tie. The absurd premise poses a real question: who decides what's safe enough, and how fast it can go?
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