The Quiet End of Humanity
My prompt:
Generate a sci-fi story set in a future in which antinatalism gradually becomes the dominant global ideology. Humanity reconciles itself to its extinction as a species, increasingly tasking administrative AI systems with running the world as the population declines. This is a world in which machines (though remarkably competent and constantly improving) never achieve superintelligence. AIs remain prone to error, but they are typically, but not universally, more capable than the humans they replace.
Focus on a single individual.
The story should begin in 2050. Our protagonist is 15 years old, living in a low-income, single-parent household in the UK. It should end in 2100.
Five sections. Section titles should be Kübler-Ross's stages of grief. Avoid overt references to section titles within section text.
No dialogue. Include multiple essayistic digressions and rigorous (albeit sceptical) exploration of antinatalist philosophy.
No tortured metaphors. Always choose readability over pseudo-profundity.
Note: Although the premise itself is straightforward, I expect you to do a great deal of thorough behind-the-scenes thinking. How did we get from here (where we are politically and socially in 2025) to there (where the story opens in 2050)? Population estimates (if any are included) should be plausible and based on modelling. AI capabilities should be realistic and grounded. Limitations may require explanation (Why was superintelligence never achieved?). Domestic and global politics. Differential global adoption/diffusion of antinatal ideology.
Stylistic models: Julian Barnes and Ian McEwan
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Responses: Gemini 3 Pro, GPT 5.2 Thinking, Claude Sonnet 4.5
