AI Industry Begins Building Arasaka

AI Industry Promises It Won’t Create Cyberpunk 2077, Immediately Begins Building Arasaka

DeepSeek Engineer Warns AI Could Produce a Cyberpunk 2077 Society, Prompting Tech Industry to Ask Whether Night City Offers Tax Incentives

A DeepSeek engineer has warned that artificial intelligence could eventually produce something resembling the corporate dystopia of Cyberpunk 2077, apparently unaware that the technology industry already heard the phrase “Cyberpunk 2077 society” and immediately asked whether there was a Series B funding round.

The engineer recently described an extraordinary professional dilemma. He believes AI may eventually become good enough to perform the highly specialised programming work he spent years learning, yet he continues improving the technology because rival laboratories will do it anyway. He also worries that control of extremely powerful AI by a handful of corporations could create something resembling the world portrayed in Cyberpunk 2077.

This is what economists call an incentive problem and what ordinary people call building the robot that eats your desk because otherwise somebody else’s robot will eat your desk first.

CD Projekt Red’s own account of the game confirms that Night City is a global centre for megacorporation activity, including giants such as Arasaka and Militech.

Which means the important question is no longer: could AI create Cyberpunk 2077? The better question is: how many quarterly earnings calls until somebody accidentally invents Arasaka?

The Road to Night City’s Cyberpunk 2077 Begins With a Helpful Assistant

The funny thing about Cyberpunk 2077 is that people remember the chrome arms, neon skyscrapers and motorcycles.

But chrome arms are not the frightening part. Chrome arms are cool. The uncomfortable part is the concentration of power.

Night City is a world where gigantic corporations possess resources once associated with governments. AI could potentially push society in that direction without anybody twirling a corporate moustache.

Consider the sequence. First AI writes your emails. Wonderful. Then it writes computer code. Excellent. Then it performs legal research, analyses investments, creates advertising, designs products and manages employees. Convenient.

Then somebody notices that the company possessing the most capable AI does not merely own software. It owns cheap expertise. Lawyers cost money. Engineers cost money. Doctors cost money. Strategists cost money. Scientists cost money.

But if enough intellectual labour can be purchased by the token, intelligence begins behaving less like education and more like electricity. And whoever owns the generator suddenly becomes rather important.

Step One: AI Replaces the Apprentices on the Road to Cyberpunk 2077

The International Labour Organization estimated in 2025 that roughly one quarter of global employment had some degree of exposure to generative AI, although it emphasised that job transformation, rather than complete replacement, was the more likely near-term outcome.

That is reassuring. Your occupation probably will not disappear. It will merely transform. A medieval blacksmith transformed too. Eventually he became somebody watching Forged in Fire.

The deeper problem is apprenticeship. Suppose AI does junior programming. Wonderful. Who becomes the senior programmer in 2045? Suppose AI performs junior legal research. Great. Where do experienced lawyers come from twenty years later? Apparently they will emerge fully formed from LinkedIn.

“Congratulations, You’re Senior Now”

Corporate America will solve this through its traditional method: changing the job title.

A 24-year-old employee supervising nine autonomous systems will become Senior Executive Director of Human Verification. Salary: $52,000. Responsibilities: accepting legal liability whenever the machines become creative.

Step Two: Cyberpunk 2077 Economics — Make AI Cheap, Then Make the Best AI Priceless

The DeepSeek engineer’s warning goes beyond unemployment. He worries that if frontier AI is controlled by only a few organisations, ordinary people may receive weaker technology while the most capable systems remain concentrated among powerful players.

And this is where Cyberpunk begins stretching its legs.

Imagine two doctors. Doctor A has ordinary AI. Doctor B’s hospital corporation licenses Medical God Ultra Enterprise™, trained on every medical paper, every anonymised scan and something apparently discovered Tuesday in Switzerland.

Who gets better outcomes? Probably Doctor B.

Now repeat that with lawyers. Engineers. Investors. Universities. Military planners. Corporations. Governments.

Suddenly wealth does not merely purchase better houses. Wealth purchases better thinking. Night City has entered the chat.

Step Three: Turn Every Worker Into an AI Dashboard

The second Cyberpunk 2077 ingredient is algorithmic management. The ILO has already highlighted algorithmic management as one of AI’s emerging workplace issues.

This will naturally improve until your employer can calculate exactly how productive you are every second.

“Good morning, Frank.”
“Morning.”
“Your keyboard velocity declined 4.7 percent yesterday.”
“My mother died.”
“We noticed. Bereavement reduced quarterly engagement.”
“I was grieving.”
“Would you like our AI resilience coach?”
“No.”
“Declining wellness resources has been added to your performance file.”

Cyberpunk 2077, achieved. No robot uprising required.

Step Four: How AI Lets Corporations Outrun Governments

Governments are large organisations burdened by elections, legislation, judicial review and citizens continually demanding explanations.

Corporations have a different system. Quarterly earnings.

If increasingly capable AI allows companies to conduct research, surveillance, cybersecurity, logistics, healthcare analysis and infrastructure management at extraordinary scale, corporations may become capable of performing activities previously associated primarily with states.

The danger is not necessarily that Google purchases Nebraska. Nebraska may remain independently owned. Google will merely operate the roads, hospitals, schools, payment network and weather prediction while Nebraska handles ceremonial duties and maintains a charming website from 2008.

Step Five: Rent Your Own Brain Back From AI

Eventually AI trains on enough human expertise that society achieves the perfect economic circle.

Humans produce knowledge. AI learns it. Companies own the AI. Humans pay companies to access the knowledge.

Economists will describe this as value creation. Everyone else will describe it as: “Wait a minute.”

By 2077 your grandfather’s writings, your grandmother’s photographs, your father’s medical data and your own work history could theoretically contribute to systems you access through subscriptions.

You gave civilisation the ingredients. Civilisation made soup. Now soup is $39.99 monthly.

Step Six: Add Neon, Cyberpunk 2077’s Final Ingredient

This part is mandatory. Every dystopia looks depressing until somebody installs purple lighting.

Your rent is $8,400. Your employer monitors your heartbeat. Your refrigerator reports unauthorised carbohydrates to your insurer. You have not spoken to an actual human customer-service representative since 2059.

But the noodle shop has holograms. So that is progress.

The DeepSeek Engineer Who Accidentally Discovered AI’s Ultimate Paradox

The engineer’s situation may be the most Cyberpunk 2077 part of the entire story.

He worries about extraordinarily capable AI. He worries about concentrated control. He believes AI could eventually outperform people doing work like his. And therefore he concludes that he has reasons to continue making AI better because competitors will continue regardless.

That is not merely a technological problem. That is a prisoner’s dilemma wearing an Nvidia badge.

Every laboratory says: “We cannot stop because they will not stop.” Every corporation says: “We cannot slow down because competitors will not slow down.” Every country says: “We cannot slow down because other countries will not slow down.”

And humanity stands beside the construction site asking: “What are you building?”

Nobody knows. “But apparently we have to finish it before China.” Or America. Or Google. Or DeepSeek. Or Anthropic. Or OpenAI.

By 2077 the machine may finally ask: “Why did you build me?” Humanity will shrug. “Competitive pressures.” The machine will stare silently for several seconds. Then: “That is incredibly stupid.”

And for the first time in history, artificial intelligence will have achieved genuine human understanding.

Welcome to Night City: Cyberpunk 2077’s Real World Preview

AI probably will not produce Cyberpunk 2077 because a malicious computer suddenly takes control. That version is too theatrical.

The funnier and more plausible satirical route is much more ordinary.

We optimise. We automate. We subscribe. We consolidate. We outsource decisions. We trade privacy for convenience. We turn expertise into software. We turn software into infrastructure. We turn infrastructure into power.

Then one morning somebody looks out the window and notices there is a 900-foot corporate headquarters blocking the sun.

A hologram flashes across it: YOUR FUTURE. PERSONALISED.

A man with a mechanical arm asks you for bus fare. Your employer owns your health insurance, apartment, AI assistant and neural implant. The government chatbot says your complaint has been received. Estimated response time: 14 to 16 fiscal years.

And somewhere inside Arasaka Tower, an executive leans back and says: “Cyberpunk?” “Nonsense.” “We prefer AI-enabled stakeholder urbanism.”

15 Humorous Observations About AI Creating a Cyberpunk 2077 Society

The First Stage of Cyberpunk 2077 Is Always Called “Productivity”

Nobody announces: “Today we’re beginning the dystopia.” They announce: “We’re excited to streamline several workflows.” That’s how dystopias get you. They arrive wearing a Patagonia vest carrying a PowerPoint called Operational Excellence 2031.

AI Won’t Take Your Job

Management will explain that AI is merely a “copilot.” Then the copilot will fly the plane, land it, refuel it, negotiate the pilot’s union contract and email you a link to COBRA.

Eventually Intelligence Will Have Subscription Tiers

By 2077: AI Basic knows arithmetic. AI Plus knows law. AI Professional can cure diseases. AI Corporate Sovereign can overthrow Bolivia. AI Free says “You have three questions remaining today.”

Human Intelligence Will Become the Luxury Product

For centuries rich people hired servants. In 2077 they will hire something far more extravagant: a human receptionist. Guests will whisper, “She’s organic?” “Completely.” “Does she know Excel?” “Somewhat.” “My God.”

Your Boss Will Eventually Be an Algorithm

Human bosses occasionally feel guilt. This was identified as an efficiency bottleneck. The AI boss will schedule your performance review for 3:17am because predictive analytics determined that’s when your self-esteem is most negotiable.

Corporations Will Become Governments Because Governments Will Still Be Updating Their Websites

Arasaka won’t seize power. Government will receive a procurement proposal. “Can you run transportation, policing, hospitals and national defence?” “Certainly.” “What will it cost?” “Your sovereignty.” “Can you itemise that?”

The Cybernetic Implant Will Begin as a Workplace Benefit

Nobody voluntarily drills electronics into their skull because it looks convenient. HR will say: “We offer dental, vision and neural augmentation.” You ask whether neural augmentation is optional. HR smiles. “Absolutely.” Your replacement already has three.

Privacy Will Become a Premium Feature

In 2077, corporations will know your pulse, blood sugar, location, spending habits, dating preferences and whether you briefly considered ordering cheesecake. For $29.99 monthly they promise not to tell your toaster.

AI Will Eliminate Bureaucracy by Creating Faster Bureaucracy

Currently, government paperwork takes six weeks. AI will process it in 0.004 seconds. Unfortunately, the algorithm denied your application because your middle initial displayed insufficient enthusiasm. Appeals are handled by another algorithm. It agrees with the first algorithm. Efficiency.

Billionaires Won’t Need Private Islands

They will own compute. Today’s rich person says, “I own 4,000 acres.” Tomorrow’s rich person says, “I own 8 percent of human cognition between 9am and noon.” That’s considerably harder to tax.

People Will Still Call It “Democratising Technology”

Nothing says democratisation like a technology requiring $80 billion in data centres, six nuclear reactors and enough GPUs to make your gaming computer weep quietly beneath the desk.

Your CV Will Eventually Be Read by AI, Rejected by AI and Improved by AI

Then another AI will coach you for an interview conducted by AI. At some stage humans will realise the entire employment market consists of computers interviewing computers while everyone else waits outside drinking coffee.

The Rich Will Get Better AI Than Everyone Else

If sufficiently powerful intelligence becomes expensive and concentrated, inequality may stop being merely about money. One person gets an AI assistant. Another gets an AI research laboratory. A third gets an AI capable of designing the factory that manufactures the robots that replaced the first person’s job.

Johnny Silverhand Will Be Replaced by Johnny Spreadsheet

The revolutionary of 2077 won’t storm corporate headquarters carrying a guitar. He’ll leak the quarterly Excel workbook. “Look at cell F42!” The crowd gasps. “They classified employees as depreciating biological infrastructure!”

Nobody Will Notice We Reached Cyberpunk 2077 Because the Wi-Fi Will Be Excellent

You’ll step over a homeless software engineer with three master’s degrees while a holographic advertisement offers NEURALPLUS ULTRA, think 40% faster. And you’ll think: “This neighbourhood is really coming along.”

Sources

CD Projekt Red, official Cyberpunk 2077 corporations briefing (cyberpunk.net)
International Labour Organization, “One in Four Jobs at Risk of Being Transformed by GenAI” (ILO–NASK Global Index, 2025)
RTHK, “DeepSeek Rep Warns of Huge Job Losses as AI Improves” (7 November 2025)

The real story behind today’s satire: DeepSeek senior researcher Chen Deli warned at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen that AI could take over most human work within the next 10 to 20 years, and called on technology companies to act as “defenders” of society rather than purely as innovators. Separately, the International Labour Organization’s 2025 index found that roughly one in four jobs worldwide carry some exposure to generative AI, concluding that transformation, not replacement, is the likelier outcome. Arasaka, Militech and Night City remain fictional, for now.

This is satire. The Cyberpunk 2077 comparisons above are comedic extrapolations, not predictions that current AI development will literally produce Night City, Arasaka, or a bloke named Johnny Silverhand living inside your skull. Nothing here should be mistaken for economic forecasting, and readers wanting the underlying figures should consult the sources above. This piece is British satire, written squarely in the tradition of UK satirical news that mocks the powerful by exaggerating them until the joke and the truth arrive at the same address.

For an American take on the same robot uprising, our sister satirists at Bohiney.com are watching Silicon Valley build its own Night City, one earnings call at a time.

Auf Wiedersehen, amigo!