by Asad Ur Rahman
I took my classes and went to the cafe. Here, some robots serve the food that is synthesized inorganically in the industries. I placed an order for grilled beef. I didn't care that the menu item blinked red twice in my digital lens, indicating that I shouldn't eat it, because I was very hungry and loved meat. Since our genomic data and health records synchronize with the cloud data on digital devices, eating has turned into a stressful activity. The Artificial Intelligence-based gadget always stops me from eating my favourite dishes. It knows better what I and especially my body needs. What a shame for me!
But it was not always the same. My grandmother told me that there were no gadgets that could interrupt our eating choices back in the day. People would eat whatever they liked. Human beings were free of interference from technology. Although it was dangerous and many would die from many diseases without any foreseeable signs, the freedom was there. Food was a luxury, and people would not just eat because their bodies needed it; rather, they would eat for taste. My grandmother has told me that she would try new recipes for new flavours. Man, that would have been a real-life!
I was thinking more and more of the flaws of the existing food system when suddenly my friend Laura arrived. She just looked at the menu, and her lens selected a vegetable for her. She ordered it without any inconvenience. Suddenly I asked her, "Are you not fed up with obeying the rules of your gadget?" She answered, "Not at all because it helps me in choosing what is best for me." I nodded my head and said, "Yes, that's true but we are human beings and we should have a free choice." She laughed and said that it is our freedom to eat what is good for us. Unlike our predecessors, we are not restricted by the taste of our food; rather, we choose by its quality.
When I did not seem convinced, she commanded her gadget to portray the diseases and deaths that had just occurred in the 20th and early 21st centuries. It was really scary. Diseases like cancer and diabetes, which have ceased to exist now, were primarily caused by overeating and having poor quality food. I realized the dangers of random eating and got convinced about the benefits of eating according to the body's needs. Suddenly, I realized that I had ordered beef that is not needed by my body now. So, I turned towards the menu and re-ordered, but this time with the suggestion of my gadget.