How to Commit Thoughtcrime—And Report Yourself to the Thought Police

OpenAI could charge up to $20,000 per month for PhD-level research agents.

A technology can be considered mature when it becomes accessible to small businesses and households—much like personal computers did in the early 1980s or Ford Model T (1908). Personal AI assistants?could be in high demand among professionals (doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers), small businesses, and households, especially if priced within the $2,000–$20,000 range for full ownership rather than as a recurring subscription.

Now, consider a scenario where posting politically incorrect opinions on social media leads to criminal charges and even prison time. A personal AI assistant, installed on a private computer seized during an arrest, could provide prosecutors with an enormous trove of self-incriminating evidence. Given the growing trend of prosecuting individuals for speech—under charges of hate speech, misinformation, or even vague offenses like sending an offensive or menacing message via a public network (see examples and government data)—purchasing a $2,000 AI personal assistant might be equivalent to voluntarily turning yourself into the Thought Police.

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