A Worried Mind: AI, Hackers, and a Vision of Atlantis

 Valerie Austin

I’ve been thinking a lot about AI lately – its power, its promise, and its perils. Here’s my personal take: as AI gets smarter, so do the hackers. It’s a race between safety and sabotage, humans versus machines. Experts talk about protection, but who’ll win this war? Us, the AI, or maybe a wild card – like aliens? And then there’s this memory from years ago that keeps nagging at me, a strange echo from the past that feels tied to our future.

Back in the late ’80s, I was on a gorgeous yacht moored on a calm Thames, summer sun shining, water still as glass. I had a student – bright, pretty, in her early 20s – who wanted me to guide her through a past-life hypnosis session. I’d always been curious about Atlantis, that lost world of legend, so with her permission, I directed her there as I deepened her trance.

Something bizarre happened. The yacht’s floor-to-ceiling blinds started clattering – like a hurricane was thrashing us – yet outside, the day was perfect, serene. She was deep under, describing Atlantis: A stunning place with blue skies mirroring a tranquil sea, a table piled with delicious food, an elegant life. She spoke of a ruling brother, his jealous older sibling eyeing power, and a shadowy group she distrusted but brushed off. She felt happy, safe.

Then her face twisted. That lovely glow vanished, replaced by terror. “Everything’s breaking up,” she said, bewildered. “Crumbling.” The beauty was gone – just wasteland, a black, thunderous sky. She snapped out of the trance, shaken. So was I.

Back then, the internet was just a baby—basic, clunky, nothing like today. No one dreamed we’d build a digital world so vivid yet so fragile. Hearing her describe Atlantis collapse – from paradise to ruin – feels like a warning. Are we crafting our own illusion, a shiny façade powered by AI that could crash with a single flick of the switch? Cut the power, and it’s gone – wasteland, just like she saw.

AI’s a marvel, but it’s a double-edged sword. Hackers could turn it against us, or worse – something beyond our control could step in. I hope we’re not marching toward a fake future, propped up by tech we can’t protect. The best-laid plans of man and beast could unravel fast if we don’t find a way to keep the lights on – and the intruders out.

Have you ever had a moment – a vision, a hunch – that made you question where we’re headed?