CE1: Creative Writing on Socio-Technical Futures

DUE DATE: Sunday, March 16th, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

SUBMISSION: Submit your completed vignettes as two Markdown (.md) files through Gradescope (may change so please pay attention to #announcements for future guidance, DO NOT CONTACT COURSE STAFF DIRECTLY). Name your file cis3500_sp25_<pennkey>_protopia1.md and cis3500_sp25_<pennkey>_dystopia1.md. Also include YouTube links to recordings of your vignettes (either face-to-camera video narration, narrated slides/illustrations, or audio recordings).

TIME ESTIMATE: We estimate this will take around 4-6 hours, including brainstorming, writing, recording, and revising.

FEEDBACK LINK: At any moment in the homework, if you have non-urgent feedback to provide, don’t hesitate (if it is useful you will earn participation credit!): Homework Feedback Form. Note: This is to provide feedback for future improvements, and not to ask questions or clarifications about the homework. (For instance, if you something was confusing, and it took you a while to figure out, but you eventually figured it out, you might provide feedback that if it had been explained differently it would have been easier to understand.)

As software engineers in an era of rapidly advancing AI capabilities, your value will increasingly lie not just in your technical skills, but in your ability to understand and anticipate how software shapes society. Code doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it creates new possibilities, shifts power dynamics, and transforms human relationships.

For instance, in the introduction to this class, we saw how over a period of a decade, the combination of the MP3 codec and Internet disrupted the music industry and completely changed business models, how music is made, what kind of music is made and who makes it, how profits are derived, and the evolving relationships artists establish with their fans.

In terms of the music industry, from the perspective of the 2000s, we are arguably in a protopian future, where MP3 and Internet have democratized both access to music as an audience, but also as a creator; the transition was not been without its challenges, and issues remain.

This assignment asks you to explore these impacts through creative writing. You’ll craft two vignettes that imagine how software might shape our future:

1. One showing a protopian outcome where software has had an overall positive impact,
2. and another depicting a dystopian outcome where software has created or exacerbated serious problems.

The examples shared in class demonstrated how creative fiction can help us explore the socio-technical dimensions of software systems. Now it’s your turn to imagine and articulate possible futures that software might help create.

Fiction allows us to extrapolate on the consequences of a technology using a different part of the brain: When we are actually designing or building, we have blinders on trying to achieve a specific vision; fiction allows us to switch gears, take a step back, and think about the implications of what we are doing. Because we can’t figure out rigorously the implications of something that has not been built, let alone deployed, that is where fiction becomes an extremely valuable tool.

Science fiction concepts have profoundly shaped our technological imagination, creating both blueprints and boundaries for innovation. The concept of “robots” first emerged in a theater play. Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics established ethical frameworks decades before AI ethics became urgent, while William Gibson’s “cyberspace” conceptualized digital realms years before the internet became ubiquitous. Star Trek’s communicators, PADDs, and replicators directly inspired mobile phones, tablets, and 3D printing, creating technological expectations that engineers worked to fulfill. Black Mirror’s nuanced exploration of technology-gone-wrong has made “Black Mirror scenario” shorthand for ethical caution in tech development, while Neal Stephenson’s Metaverse conceptualized immersive virtual worlds long before tech companies invested billions pursuing similar visions.

These fictional concepts don’t merely predict technology—they actively shape how developers, policymakers, and the public understand what technology should and shouldn’t become.

What is a protopia?

While a utopia represents an idealized, perfect world (which is typically unattainable), and a dystopia represents a world gone terribly wrong, a protopia represents a more realistic vision of gradual, incremental progress.

The term “protopia,” popularized by Kevin Kelly (the founding executive editor of WIRED magazine), describes a state that is better than today, but not perfect—a world that has problems but is slowly improving. Unlike utopian visions, which often ignore human nature and social complexities, protopian visions acknowledge imperfections while still striving for meaningful advancement.

The concept of “utopia” is, at its core, deeply pessimistic and cynical, as it frames improvement as an all-or-nothing proposition. The idea that progress can only come through total transformation or that current systems are fundamentally irredeemable can lead to despair and authoritarianism. In contrast, protopian thinking recognizes that progress is a process, not a destination, and that small, incremental improvements can lead to a better future. You can read more about the difference between utopia and protopia here.

In your protopian vignette, you should aim to depict a world where software has made things tangibly better, but where challenges and trade-offs still exist. Perfection not required!

Through this assignment, you will:

1. Explore the social impacts of technology beyond purely technical considerations

   • Consider how software shapes economic, social, and political structures
   • Anticipate potential unintended consequences of technical decisions

2. Practice systems thinking and ethical reasoning

   • Identify stakeholders affected by software systems
   • Analyze how software design choices can either empower or disempower different groups

3. Develop communication skills critical for effective software engineering

   • Articulate complex technical concepts in accessible, engaging prose
   • Use creative writing to convey technical implications to non-technical audiences

4. Prepare for an AI-influenced future of software engineering

   • Reflect on how AI might change the role of software engineers
   • Identify which skills will remain distinctly human in an era of advanced AI

Write two short fictional vignettes (600 words each) and create corresponding video recordings.

Submit each of your vignettes as text in Markdown format (replace <pennkey> with your academic username):

• cis3500_sp25_<pennkey>_protopia1.md
• cis3500_sp25_<pennkey>_dystopia1.md

In addition, for each vignette, you must make a separate video recording:

• Clearly state your full name at the beginning, the class, and the instructor, and the title of your short story.

• You have two options:

  1. You can record a video of yourself reading your short story.
  2. Or you can show slides of illustrations while you read.

• At the end, provide a short (1–2 minutes) impromptu reflection on your writing process, inspiration, or challenges. This is an opportunity to explain your creative choice and how this connects to software.

This structure ensures authentic engagement while offering flexibility for your comfort and creative preferences. (Flaubert, the author of Madame Bovary, used the technique of the gueuloir, in which he would scream his texts from the top of his lungs until he had eliminated obnoxious redundancies. Likewise, by requesting a video recording of your texts, we’re ensuring you’ve ensured the story meets the minimum bar of being possible to read aloud!)

• Each vignette should be around 600 words.
• Clearly illustrate how specific software or technological systems have shaped societal outcomes.
• All creative techniques are permitted, including the use of generative AI tools to enhance your creativity, narrative, illustrations, or presentation style.
• Aim to evoke clear emotions, provide vivid details, and craft compelling narratives.

Feel free to revisit the examples provided in class:

• Protopian example “Harmonies of the Deep” by Prof. Lumbroso
• Dystopian example “Liquidity Solutions” by Prof. Lumbroso

Use these as inspiration for tone, depth, and complexity of ideas.

Each vignette’s writing will be evaluated based on:

• Creativity & Originality: Your vignettes should explore an original idea. The quality of writing is way less important than trying to find an interesting idea that you would enjoy exploring and thinking about.

• Socio-Technical Insight: How thoughtfully you explore and convey the implications of software on society, considering multiple perspectives (economic, ethical, ecological, cultural).

• Narrative Quality: The coherence, clarity, and engagement of your storytelling. In particular, are you able to “show” rather than “tell”? Are you able to convey the technical complexity of your world while not just dumping information on the reader?

In addition, you will be evaluated on formatting and submission quality (e.g., following the submission instructions, clear labeling, recording sound quality).

Don’t forget: If you have feedback to provide, don’t hesitate (if it is useful you will earn participation credit!): Homework Feedback Form.