Daily (H. G. Wells–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord of past and future,

I stand in an age more marvelous

   than any time machine I once imagined,

   and more perilous than any war of the worlds.

Grant me clear vision in this empire of wires and waves,

   where messages travel faster than thought,

   and unseen watchers peer through every careless click.

Teach me that every device

   is a kind of invisible engine,

   capable of progress or oppression:

   let me choose its uses with a scientist’s care

  and a humanist’s conscience.

Guard me from becoming

   either the naïve Eloi,

   lulled by comfort and entertainment,

   or the lurking Morlock,

   feeding on others’ ignorance in the dark.

Let my data not become chains

   for some future tyrant of information,

   nor my habits the raw material

   for a more subtle time of conquest and control.

And as I journey through this brave new digital world,

   help me steward my discoveries—

   to share knowledge without arrogance,

   raise alarms without hysteria,

   and bend each new invention, as far as I can,

   toward mercy rather than mastery.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [H. G. Wells] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [H. G. Wells], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)