In the Blink of an Eye, by British novelist Jo Callaghan, is a highly informative and entertaining exploration of how AI technologies can positively impact and enhance the human workforce, especially in policing.
Set in England in the near future, the police procedural begins with this shocking note: “In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.” (FYI: In Australia, approximately 38,000 to 50,000+ missing persons reports are filed each year, with roughly 2,600-2,700 people remaining long-term, i.e. missing over 90 days.)
It is impossible for any police force to have sufficient manpower, resources and time to investigate all these missing persons cases, not to mention all those other crimes that urgently demand their attention.
To solve this problem, researchers have developed AIDEs – Artificially Intelligent Detecting Entities – “basically, some sort of glorified Alexa that can crunch data and allegedly solve more crimes at a fraction of the cost of a real copper” as described by one of the characters.
Having worked as a policewoman for 25 years, to say that DCS Kat Frank is unhappy to be paired with AIDE Lock is a massive understatement. Particularly when Lock is a hologram that constantly challenges her “hunches”, which, as the AI determines, “are subjects to errors and cognitive biases”.
“Lock closed its eyes for a second. ‘I have just read 73,239 scholarly articles on the science of decision-making, and as human decision-making processes are clearly impaired by intellectual, social and emotional factors, I conclude that your “hunches” are merely reflections of your own prejudices and assumptions.’”
Readers can almost predict how this story will unfold – something dreadful is going to happen “with lives on the line” that leads to Kat and Lock working together “before someone else becomes another statistic”. Human experience versus AI. Instinct versus logic. Surely human and machine will end up learning much from each other and becoming an excellent team.
But the interesting is, as much as the story reads endearingly familiar – with Kat behaving like Detective Del Spooner in I, Robot (2004) and Lock reminding us of Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and especially with Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) being a crucial plot device – it is not only full of engaging emotions, quirky humour, thrilling suspense and astonishing twists and turns, but also exceptionally thought-provoking.
Perhaps this is because, like Chadwick Boseman’s Wakanda in Black Panther (2018), the story portrays our future world as one full of positive and innovative possibilities.
Instead of SkyNet and other dystopian AI takeover scenarios including but not limited to The Matrix (1999), Ex Machina (2014), I Am Mother (2019), M3GAN (2022), Atlas (2024) and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) – we see how AI technologies can be used adequately, progressively and comprehensively to help make our world a better place, without hindering, undermining or replacing the best part of humanity.
Such is the power of storytelling.
Note: This book review was originally titled “A story about the good use of AI” and published under the title “Good use of AI” by Ranges Trader Star Mail, March 17, 2026, P.24.
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 