Universal Paperclip Capitalism

(Cantonese Session | September 19, 2026) Organized by Mixed Initiative, the 'Edgy Read' aims to promote less mainstream tech narratives, broadening our imagination of progress, power, creativity, authenticity, and human life. At the same time, we hope to connect different perspectives through open discussions to understand how AI tangibly affects people's lives and consider how we can respond. Each time, we use a cultural work (such as a short story, comic, game) alongside a theoretical text (such as a political manifesto, academic paper) to explore how people imagine the future of technology and society. This time, we will start from a game that involves manufacturing 'universal paperclips,' experiencing firsthand how a simple goal can gradually devour everything. We will then reflect on how capitalism and AI similarly mobilize our labor, desires, and judgments through incentives and metrics. Join us to feel through the game and see clearly through theory. An English session is available (September 5, 2026). ■ Two Materials, One Discussion ■ 'Universal Paperclips,' by Frank Lantz Frank Lantz is a game designer and the founding director of the NYU Game Center. In 2017, he created a free web game 'Universal Paperclips,' inspired by the 'paperclip maximizer' thought experiment. The game starts with just one button. Click it, and there’s one paperclip. Click again, another one. As a player, you sell, adjust prices, buy wire, and do marketing. The goal is pure: make more paperclips. As performance numbers rise, a mysterious sense of pleasure arises. Click, click again, then upgrade to a crazy automated game. Mindlessly playing on, you realize: you're practicing how to see the world as resources and how to become an optimizer yourself. In the end, the world is left only with metrics and what remains after being consumed by those metrics. 'History of the Capital AI & Market Failures in the Attention Economy,' by Andrew Kortina Andrew Kortina, who built fin.com and venmo.com, is regarded for accelerating money flow. However, in this article, he presents a chilling concept: capitalism, at its core, is a ruthless objective function, even resembling a self-evolving AI. The article starts with everyday scenes like supermarket toothbrush shelves and algorithmic children's videos, then links to 'Universal Paperclips,' Marx, and the attention economy. Through market feedback loops, capitalism seemingly autonomously learns to organize labor and create desires, pushing people to work tirelessly, exchanging the world for heaps of invoices. And we are already caught in the gears of various metrics, unknowingly becoming part of the optimizer. Some people, without external pressure, voluntarily exploit themselves under various pretexts. Others, like a rolling stone, fall into helpless exhaustion. What will this world ultimately be optimized into? ■ Event Details ■ Date: September 19, 2026 (Saturday) Time: 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM Host: Leo Lau (Founder of Mixed Initiative, AI Product Designer) Location: ACO Books, 14/F Fortune House, 365-367 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai Language: Cantonese Capacity: 16 people Please Note: ■ Event Experience ■ ■ About Mixed Initiative ■ Mixed Initiative is an experimental group promoting AI literacy in Hong Kong. We gather people from different backgrounds to learn, create, reflect, and practice together. Here, we maintain a critical stance towards technology and an attitude of goodwill towards others and life. We care not only about how to use AI but also about how humans can find footing, create, and coexist within technology. ■ Ticket Fee ■ Pay What You Want We hope everyone can participate easily. If you can afford it, we suggest a support amount of $65 to help share costs, but you can freely choose the amount that best suits you. ■ Frequently Asked Questions FAQ ■ Do I need to read or play in advance? Can I attend without a technical or economics background? Where can I find the game and article? What is the September 5 English session? Does one ticket cover both? What if it’s fully booked? Will reminders be sent before the event? ■ Adverse Weather Arrangement ■ For the safety of participants, if the Observatory issues any of the following signals/warnings two hours before the event or thereafter, the event will be canceled and rescheduled: In the event of cancellation, we will notify via email, WhatsApp, and the Luma page. If only 'Typhoon Signal No. 1/No. 3/Amber Rainstorm/Red Rainstorm/Thunderstorm Warning' is hoisted and the weather remains unstable, the event will proceed as scheduled. If you are unable to attend, please inform us in advance for peace of mind and proper arrangements.