AdelAIDE

Freya and her former best friend Hye-jin are both passionate campaigners for protecting the natural environment. But how come Hye-jin’s posts are always super-successful and she has over 800,000 followers while Freya’s often flop and she has just 748? 

Freya longs to be a famous influencer but it seems like a forlorn hope until Dad is asked to test a home assistant robot, AdelAIDE, who seems to form a special bond with her.  

At first AdelAIDE suggests blue hair, a nose ring and better lighting and editing to increase Freya’s likes. But when this only makes a small difference to her profile, AdelAIDE quotes statistics that show being disruptive is more effective at increasing exposure and influence than being likeable. 

And when AdelAIDE’s ideas become more radical and risky, Freya finds herself losing control of her life and the consequences of her actions.   

Presented in an accessible, dyslexia-friendly format, Freya’s story looks at the power of AI and how challenging it might be to trust our own humanity and conscience in the face of overwhelming pressure from seemingly well-meaning advice. 

Asking interesting questions about where protest ends and criminality begins, this is a thought-provoking, gripping and hugely relevant cautionary tale.