You can expect real-time, generative graphics indistinguishable from reality in five years - many games will start using Generative shaders/textures or whatever they're going to call them.

As for hardware advancement needed to fool your other senses completely? Maybe the magic 20 years.

Of course, with true AGI all calculations on predictions are singularities ;)

The 1930's were a naïve time, but it is hard to argue against the tight coupling of economics and energy. Does anything affect the economy like energy?

Plus, it's harder to hide energy use than to hide money use. And I feel like it's easier to distribute energy than money too. The technocrat's whole getting rid of a representative democracy is a bit much - but don't we all wish we could get rid of politicians ;)

Energy accounting (in the technocrat sense) is one of the few alternatives to money I've heard of. My other favorite being an beneficent, omnipotent superintelligence as the only entity with the PIN number to humanity's checking account. But that's still kind of a dictatorial setup, even if benevolent.

I like the idea of allocating energy. It feels fair and closer to true value than abstract moneys.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy_movement

Distribute and track energy, not money.

> At the core of Scott's vision was "an energy theory of value". Since the basic measure common to the production of all goods and services was energy, he reasoned "that the sole scientific foundation for the monetary system was also energy", and that by using an energy metric instead of a monetary metric (energy certificates or 'energy accounting') a more efficient design of society could be made...

The rain pattered gently against the pavement, the only sound in the dark night. My footsteps echoed in the silence as I made my way towards my destination.

I could see the light coming from the windows of the old abandoned warehouse, and I knew that's where he would be. He always chose places like this.

In the week or so that I had been following him, I had learned everything I could about him. His name was Robert, and he was a serial killer.

He had killed at least eight people that I knew of, and I was determined to stop him. After tracking him for days, and I finally had him cornered.

I pulled my gun from its holster and slowly approached the warehouse. I could hear movement inside, and I knew he was in there. I crept through the door, gun at the ready.

The first thing I noticed was the smell: death. My eyes scanned the room, and I saw him.

Robert was standing over a body, but he had no weapon in his hand.

I stepped out of the shadows, gun trained on him. He slowly turned to face me, and I saw the look in his eyes. It was a look of pure evil.

"It's too late for that," Robert said, "You should have left me alone."

"I can't let you kill anymore."

He laughed, a cold, heartless laugh.

"You can't stop me," he said. "You think I haven't noticed you following me?"

He took a step towards me, and I stepped back.

"I know everything about you," he said. " I know where you live, I know where you work."

"I don't care," I said. " I'm going to stop you."

He took another step towards me, and I stepped back again.

"You can't stop me," he said. "Nobody can!"

He lunged at me, and I pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit him in the chest, and he stumbled backwards.

I stepped forward and fired again.

This time the bullet hit him in the head, and he fell to the ground, dead.

I breathed a sigh of relief and holstered my gun. Robert lay still.

I turned to Robert's victim's body on the ground, and my blood ran cold. The victim's body was missing its head.

Suddenly, Robert's body stirred.

I stepped back in shock as he slowly rose to his feet.

Roberts eyes were hollow and dead, and his skin was pale.

He opened his mouth, and I saw that his teeth had been replaced with sharp fangs.

I emptied my gun into him, but the bullets had no effect. He kept coming, and I turned and ran.

I could hear his footsteps behind me, and I knew he was coming for me. I ran for my life, but I knew I couldn't outrun him. He was faster, stronger, and more powerful than I could ever hope to be.

Suddenly, I felt his hand, impossibly strong, on my shoulder, and I knew it was over.

He slammed me against the wall and turned me to face him, and I saw the unearthly hunger in his eyes.

"Nobody hears the screams of the dead," he said, before he sunk his teeth into my neck.

Yes, that is a form of imagination. Yes, AI is actually intelligent.

Something is always magic until it becomes a tool, then suddenly everyone decides it's not magic anymore. Whenever AI does something that only humans or animals could do before, suddenly people don't consider it AI anymore. This phenomenon is called the AI effect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_effect

(slightly less dramatic music)