Is it possible that at some future point the American political system could be on the verge of collapse, and the Constitution no longer regarded as relevant? This scenario plays out in Pax AI: The Dawn of a New American Governance. J.C. Anderson reflects on growing disillusionment in the face of corrupt politicians, social instability, and an increasing dependence on computer technology. By the year 2044, the Constitution has become the subject of constant wrangling over the interpretation of its terminology and has evolved into a legal minefield. With further chaos in sight, AI was touted as the solution. A specialist task force was set up to design a system that would replace the government. It was a watershed development in American history. The question was whether eliminating the small elite and their cohorts, who controlled the country, would occur without a backlash. The switch-on proceeded with great success. The homeless were housed, the legal system functioned smoothly without lawyers through AI arbitration, while AI governance was shaped by adaptive learning. Meanwhile, China had retained its central control regime, concerned that its position of dominance might be overtaken. The Chinese AI system (CAIN) was years behind America. A conspiracy to attack the American AIGS network emerged. An AI war threatened if America retaliated, but where would that end?

Pax AI describes how a cat and mouse game ensued, with the Chinese attempting to breach the American system using a combination of spies, saboteurs, hacking, and causing chaos to create panic among the American population to discredit the system. A drone attack by the Chinese killed the wrong person. The cyber war lasted just weeks, causing massive infrastructure destruction and casualties. China backed down, but there were unresolved issues in America, while the rogue elements remained. J.C. Anderson builds the plot steadily by introducing a rogue’s gallery of dissidents on the American side, who join with Chinese agents to reach a common goal. The personalities are well drawn, larger than life, and quirky. The subtle humor and ironies add depth, as does the incisive analysis of AI capabilities in terms of what it could provide and what could go wrong. While this book is written as fiction, it asks searching questions about democracy, the human condition, poor governance, and whether humanity has reached the end of its road. Would it be replaced with AI, developed by a few gifted humans, and what then of the future? Would the two opposing AI entities combine to rule the world? The tension builds to a surprising end that sets it apart from similar works in terms of the depth of its originality. It is an enthralling read and highly recommended.

Tired of the monotony of various politicians coming and going while nothing changes for the people, American voters abandon their trust in the established order. They throw their support behind an obscure party known only as the Artificial Intelligence Party in the presidential elections. The Artificial Intelligence Party campaigned to remove emotions from governance and allow logical thought and algorithms to guide every aspect of the process. Their ideas led to the Artificial Intelligence Government System, or AIGS. Despite its initial successes, members of the old order continue to attempt to undermine this new era. Paul Killabar is one such individual. The senator has devised plans to shut down the AIGS and, with the assistance of a foreign government's top spy, believes it's only a matter of time. Will the new dawn survive, or will the old order prevail? Only time will tell in J.C. Anderson's Pax AI.

In Pax AI, J.C. Anderson combines captivating world-building with humor, creating engaging origin stories for each character that readers will find relatable. The dialogue often shifts from funny to technical, with a pace so readers can understand and enjoy the complex narrative without getting lost in the science. Anderson carefully explains each part of the algorithm-driven machine, especially the role of the interlocutors, showing great attention to detail. He balances the focus evenly between the different factions involved, capturing key emotions in their dialogue, such as greed and survival instincts in Paul Kilabar, ultimately creating interesting subplots about how the machine responds to human creations like war and espionage. As humanity slowly entrusts more responsibilities to artificial intelligence, Anderson's compelling narrative will appeal to action and sci-fi fans while showing this challenging journey's potential benefits and risks.