Arete–Ver. 2250

Arete: the ancient Greek goddess of virtue and excellence
It is the year 2250, and most countries in the world are administered by an artificial intelligence system called Arete. Initially created to assist lawmakers in writing legislation, Arete gradually took over the whole process, replacing human-generated legislation with simplified universal laws that are fair and equitable to everyone and simultaneously making lawmakers, judges, and juries redundant. Arete is connected to personal intelligent wristbands and various robots built to care for and police society, which offers a true democracy. Everyone is treated equally, honestly, and fairly. Elected officials can focus on leading their country—they don’t have to administer it as well.

The artificial intelligence is based on five fundamental principles defined by a UN committee. The underlying logic interpretation and coding are provided by a team of engineers working for the company that has developed the software. Sean Staples, a newly qualified cadet to this program, finds that lofty theoretical ideals are sometimes not easy to implement.