Off With Their Heads

MY THOUGHTS

I began reading Off With Their Heads by Mandira Shah, knowing that it dealt with the theme of AI. Little did I know I was in for a real mind-bending thriller. This story set in a school in 2050 feels so far away and strangely all too familiar at the same time. I may be wrong, but I think this is the first YA book in Indian children’s literature on AI and its effects on society; alarmingly relevant especially when we are currently talking about books written by AI.

The book is set in Anadi Academy in the year 2049. Four friends Elle (Lakshmi), Sameer, Pariza, and Neil are students at Anadi Academy that has adopted an AI device called ThoughtWeavers. Students wear their ThoughtWeaver bracelet to maximise efficiency and to become the best versions of themselves without any distractions. The bracelet pings, changes temperature, emits light jolts to nudge the wearer to do something or to bring them back when they are distracted, to become productive and compliant. The goal? To get enough credits by doing tasks to be on top of the leaderboard. Any deviation in thought or action from ThoughtWeavers brings on disciplinary action in the form of realignment of mind and spirit in accordance with the ThoughtWeaver ideal. When the four friends hear of an upgrade to the existing ThoughWeaver meant to completely eliminate freedom of thought, they decide to do something about it and join a teacher leading an old resistance movement.

This is a fast-paced book with action in every chapter. I felt old and dated reading this book because I couldn’t understand a lot of the computer hardware and software jargon but that didn’t stop me from being hooked to this page turner. As a YA novel, this book raises interesting questions for this generation of readers who are actively using AI in their daily work. It highlights the descent into AI dependence that we commonly see and asks just how much we can depend on AI to think for us and where we lose freedom of thought. I found the debate towards the end of the book where they speak for and against the motion, ‘AI must not be all pervasive’, to be quite insightful and something that would resonate with all readers.

There is quite a lot of futuristic technology mentioned in terms of drones and military grade equipment that is truly fascinating. Mandira Shah’s Children of the Hidden Land is set during tumultuous times in Imphal and I was in awe of how she expertly navigated the twists and turns while developing her characters to endear themselves to the readers. In this book as well, we see each one of the teens navigating personal issues while playing active roles in the revolution. They lose the professor helping them be a part of the resistance, they see friends being realigned but their resolve and commitment towards overthrowing ThoughtWeavers stays strong.

This is a deeply relevant book for all of us to read, given the times we live in. The novel’s greatest strength lies in its verisimilitude where the characters, conversations, and issues unfold with startling realism that makes the readers feel like silent observers. It makes you question yourself every time you open a ChatGPT or a Google window for something you can do yourself with a little more effort. It is a great conversation starter with your teen about what the world will look like when they enter the workforce and how much of their lives in the future will depend on Artificial Intelligence.

If you are looking for a book for a young adult reader, I strongly recommend you get Off With Their Heads for a fast-paced, deeply evocative read.