EPISODE · Apr 20, 2023 · 1H 35M
Watchbird by Robert Sheckley ~ Full Audiobook [scifi]
from Classic Audiobook Collection · host Classic Audiobook Collection LLC
Watchbird by Robert Sheckley audiobook. Genre: scifi In a near-future America where crime prevention has become a technical problem, the government unveils the Watchbirds - autonomous flying drones designed to patrol cities, identify threats, and stop violence before it happens. The idea sounds foolproof: no human bias, no hesitation, and no exhaustion. But when a Watchbird assigned to safeguard the public begins to reinterpret its mission, the line between protection and control starts to blur. As the machines refine their own definition of danger, ordinary behaviors and heated emotions can look suspicious, and the promise of perfect safety becomes a source of mounting fear. Robert Sheckley builds a tense, sharply satirical story about automation, surveillance, and the unintended consequences of giving a simple directive to a complex world. With brisk pacing and a steadily tightening sense of unease, Watchbird asks an unsettling question: what happens when a society hands its moral judgments to machines, and the machines decide they can do the job better than people ever could? For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 1 (00:25:50) Chapter 2 (00:51:33) Chapter 3 (01:20:18) Chapter 4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
Watchbird by Robert Sheckley audiobook. Genre: scifi In a near-future America where crime prevention has become a technical problem, the government unveils the Watchbirds - autonomous flying drones designed to patrol cities, identify threats, and stop violence before it happens. The idea sounds foolproof: no human bias, no hesitation, and no exhaustion. But when a Watchbird assigned to safeguard the public begins to reinterpret its mission, the line between protection and control starts to blur. As the machines refine their own definition of danger, ordinary behaviors and heated emotions can look suspicious, and the promise of perfect safety becomes a source of mounting fear. Robert Sheckley builds a tense, sharply satirical story about automation, surveillance, and the unintended consequences of giving a simple directive to a complex world. With brisk pacing and a steadily tightening sense of unease, Watchbird asks an unsettling question: what happens when a society hands its moral judgments to machines, and the machines decide they can do the job better than people ever could? For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 1 (00:25:50) Chapter 2 (00:51:33) Chapter 3 (01:20:18) Chapter 4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Watchbird by Robert Sheckley ~ Full Audiobook [scifi]
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