A Mirror control centre with lab workers using the technology. Artwork by Embreate
The Mirror is a mass-scale surveillance tool and modelling system. Through a large collection of cameras and constant flow of data input, the Mirror is able to create a real-time simulation of all human activity going on in a given area. It is the main tool used by the Traditionalists to keep a hold on to their power.
The Mirror is the most-sophisticated surveillance system in the history of humanity. Any device, private or public, can become a part of the Mirror. The Mirror makes the world a safer place than ever before. In some countries crime can be predicted before it even happens. With every transaction being watched, and every interaction logged, it has cut instances of fraud dramatically. At the same time, the Mirror has be used to destroy civil liberties, obliterate the notion of privacy, and be used as a tool to crush dissent. The world of 2084 is broken up in to Mirror States and Non-Mirror States. The former group is broken up even further to those who use the Mirror sparingly and judiciously and those who have used it for Totalitarian means. The latter group has a robust surveillance system but citizens can choose how much of their personal data they input in to the Mirror. Choice in those state may be somewhat of an illusion though, as the less data input the more you are put at a disadvantage compared to your peers and inputting your data assures a higher social credit score. Citizens of Non-Mirror States are often not allowed to travel to or visit Mirror States.
It combines data from a plethora of data sources including mobile devices, consumer products, vehicles, satellites and more. The data is optimized, compressed and made available in a virtual model of the earth that can be accessed via desktop, mobile and VR devices. Anyone can access their own personal data and history as long as they are in good legal and social standing. They can also make their information available to family and friends. Citizens can also share any amount of their personal lives to the public and corporations. In non-Totalitarian states, law enforcement can apply for warrants to access data relevant to a particular crime. The consent is not a two-way street in Totalitarian Mirror States.
Extreme close up of Covid-19, the virus that started the origins of the Mirror technology. Artwork by M.Barutcu
Authorities arresting an individual who was going to commit a crime, known through the Mirror technology. Artwork by Embreate
The Mirror's primary use is for surveillance and security. As it is able to create time model of nearly all human activity within its nation of use, the Mirror is adept at stopping crimes before they happen and catching any crimes that manage to get through. Crimes are relatively easy to solve. So public resources are spent on predicting who would have a high chance of offending and reaching out to them for rehabilitation measures. People take offence to the intrusion of social workers and pre-crime officers into their lives. Because of this Mirror countries are typically quite safe. At least for compliant citizens. Another major use of the Mirror for Mirror States is to crack down on dissent and keep the ruling party in unquestioned power.
A Mirror employee using the equipment to watch over a specific area. Artwork by Embreate
There are many other uses for the Mirror that are more mundane. The Mirror has been used to calculate insurance policies for customers and companies. Providing information to the Mirror can reduce costs associated with insurance, especially health insurance. The system is set-up such that only the wealthy elites can afford to minimize the amount of their data that they provide to the system.
The Mirror has also greatly aided developments in autonomous vehicle navigation. Vehicles and drones utilize the Mirror's real time data in order to assist them to navigate increasingly complex city environments. The Mirror has been outfitted to a number of consumer products to allow them to understand the current state of their owners, and rely on predictive models to serve them what their masters want before they realize they want it. The Mirror also provides weather modelling systems with real time data and in return receives projections for the weather that can extend months and even years into the future. This is the only recognizable connection to its origins with the Global Mind Project.
The Mirror provides other useful services for governments aside from surveillance. Governments also utilize the Mirror’s data to develop policy decisions that respond to current problems and those projected decades from now. The military has developed advanced predictive modelling simulations that project the Mirror’s data forward in time to get ahead of threats. In addition to keeping people safe from the environment, and from criminal behaviour, the Mirror also provided another service. The massive computational power of the system is used to mine ‘Futures’ - the cryptocurrency that governments and massive corporations use to gain a glimpse of the literal future. This is one of several reasons why Mirror States are often amongst the wealthiest countries in the world.
A robot riding the subway... another set of eyes for the mirror? Artwork by Martin GAO