I AM AI is a cyberpunk flavored feast of color, emotion, and timely reflection on the excesses and tragedies inherent to digital capitalism. The evil in I AM AI is not the artificial intelligence or the cyborgian human augmentations that are commonplace in the neon-soaked streets of Emit, the city-state in which it takes place. Instead, the apparent antagonist is a ruthlessly competitive and extractive culture that drives the novelette’s titular character to the brink of ruin, as she struggles to survive and be relevant in a cruel, rapidly-changing economy that does not flinch as it leaves people behind. For me, Ai Jiang’s latest novelette is a critique of society’s commodification of novelty and a parable for creatives fighting against Big Tech’s algorithmization of their artistic practice. Make sure your battery is charged before delving into this little book, it packs one hell of a punch.