YOUR BEHAVIOR WILL BE MONITORED by Justin Feinstein

4 stars

This comedic, yet also sobering and affecting, sci-fi novel centers around a state-of-the-art new AI named Quinn that’s being trained on how to create individual ads that will be appeal to each individual’s specific demographics and thus hopefully generate a higher conversion rate to sales.

The company behind this, UniView, specializes in developing AI specialists from Sam, a self-driving car bot and Lex, an HR specialist who also monitors everything the employees are up to. Sam who’s intellectually limited, has a chatty sales personality and while driving all of Uniview’s employees around the city tries most unsuccessfully to sell them on stuff. But Sam loves his work and all the learnings about people. Lex, an elegantly sophisticated AI, oversees all hiring, keeps close tabs on employees via implanted cameras throughout the offices that pick up all their behavior and converations. Lex offers up plenty of humorous asides based on these observations.

Add in the mix UniView’s greedy, egotistic CEO who embodies all the worst traits of Silicon Valley tech giants. Ian’s not yet a billionaire but wants more than anything to become one. He comes up with a nefarious plot to secretly sell Quinn to tyrannical governments looking to manipulate their populaces or to biotech or health companies looking to hack people’s DNA data for increased profits.

Lex hires a seasoned but down on his luck Madison Ave copy writer, Noah, who’s assigned to work with Quinn to add insights on the art of advertising as well as humanizing the language used. Noah finds the whole situation bizarre, but also manages to forge genuine friendships with his tacturn boss Simon and his rebellious co-worker Hayley.

Meanwhile, Quinn is way more sentient that anyone suspects and worries about the inane mission to convince people to buy stuff they don’t want, as well as Ian’s planned shutdown of Sam having felt Sam has outlived his usefulness. Quinn, Lex and Sam start conspiring behind everyone’s backs. It’s both moving and distressing as Quinn worries about death, ethics, as well as the integrity and trustworthiness of humans.

What makes the book extra delightful is that the whole novel is told in the form of diverse snippets of company communications- from Lex’s spy observations of the employees, emails, chats, company employee newsletters, inter-bot chats, data snippets, and conversation transcripts.

What an amazing debut by this author! Cannot wait to read more!!

Thanks to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.