From Ultron to Nimrod, many artificial intelligences have menaced the Marvel Universe. The Fantastic Four faced one such AI, employed by a sinister and amoral tech magnate. In this case, however, the AI was utilized for more mundane matters than direct world domination.
Fantastic Four #14 by Ryan North and Ian Fiorelli found the team dealing with the machinations of Dan Passi. The CEO of Teklogico, Passi made his fortune on a social media app called Metamind. This app rewarded users for accomplishing tasks in the real world.
Unfortunately, someone had begun using Metamind to recruit supervillains for side-gigs. This included building a strange device on the ruins of the Baxter Building. The Fantastic Four started investigating Passi’s business practices afterward, leading to a shocking discovery.
Fantastic Four villain uses AI to predict the future
When the heroes confronted him, Passi gleefully explained his evil scheme and how Metamind was a data-farming artificial intelligence. Using the personal data of the app’s users, Passi was able to extrapolate trillions of potential futures. He then used the rewards aspect of the app to steer people towards doing whatever profited him the most.
While disgusted by Passi’s callous attitude, there was little the Fantastic Four could do to stop him. Legally, he had done nothing wrong, though the moral implications of Metamind were frightening to consider. Worst of all, Passi claimed to have calculated the odds of the Fantastic Four ever stopping him and determined it was all but impossible. This was why he was willing to confess to his actions.
Passi was technically correct, as his downfall came about because of someone besides the Fantastic Four. When the team asked him how the construction project that got their attention benefited him, Passi realized that was not part of his plan. This revealed that someone had taken control of Metamind besides him. Passi was left begging Mister Fantastic for help stopping his own creation, with Johnny Storm ultimately slagging the Metamind servers.
Fantastic Four #14 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
