IT-2025: A Requiem for Common Sense

The year 2025 was anticipated as a major milestone for technological advancement, often referred to as the technological singularity. Expectations were high that routine tasks would be fully automated and creativity would be elevated to new heights. Futurists and science fiction authors envisioned a world where programmers acted as demigods, controlling data flows with the power of thought, and corporations served as temples of efficiency.

Reality, however, has diverged significantly from these predictions. The current state of the IT sector is described as far more prosaic and grotesque than anticipated. Instead of a cyberpunk utopia, the industry has entered an era of 'cyber-absurdity.' The expected triumph of logic has been overshadowed by the triumph of bureaucracy, further complicated by the hallucinations of neural networks.

The market has transformed into a chaotic hybrid. It functions simultaneously as an Eastern bazaar where vendors attempt to sell intangible concepts and as an impenetrable bureaucratic fortress. In this environment, access is strictly controlled by gatekeepers who impose arbitrary requirements on those seeking entry or exit.

The narrative surrounding the arrival of 2025 was built on decades of speculation. For years, the industry waited for a definitive break from the past, a moment where the accumulation of technological progress would result in a fundamental shift in how society operates. The concept of the technological singularity promised a world where human limitations were transcended by machine efficiency.

Writers and futurists contributed to a collective vision of a future defined by high-tech aesthetics and streamlined existence. In these visions, the role of the programmer was elevated to that of a creator, or demiurge, capable of shaping reality through data. Corporations were expected to evolve into highly optimized entities, shedding inefficiency in favor of pure performance.

However, the reality of 2025 is characterized by a distinct lack of this promised elegance. The prevailing sentiment is that the industry has not achieved the predicted transcendence. Instead of a sleek future, the current environment is described as grotesque, suggesting a distorted and unsettling version of what was promised.

The term cyberpunk has long been used to describe a genre of science fiction dealing with high-tech, low-life futures. The source material suggests that 2025 has not even achieved this standard, landing instead in a category described as cyber-surreal or 'cyber-absurd.' This implies a reality that is not just gritty, but illogical and disjointed.

A major contributing factor to this atmosphere is the intersection of bureaucracy and artificial intelligence. The text notes that the 'triumph of bureaucracy' has been multiplied by the hallucinations of neural networks. This suggests that automated systems are not streamlining processes, but rather introducing erratic and unpredictable behavior into administrative workflows.

The result is a system that defies the logic of efficiency. Rather than the streamlined automation predicted by futurists, the current system appears to be bogged down by layers of administrative complexity that are exacerbated by the flaws in AI implementation. The promise of a rational, automated future has been replaced by an irrational, automated present.

The structure of the IT market in 2025 is described using a specific analogy: a 'strange hybrid.' This hybrid consists of two conflicting elements: an Eastern bazaar and an impregnable bureaucratic fortress. The bazaar aspect represents a chaotic commercial environment where value is difficult to discern.

In this commercial chaos, the text states that 'everyone tries to sell air.' This metaphor highlights a market saturated with intangible products, empty promises, or speculative ventures lacking concrete substance. It suggests a landscape where hype often outweighs actual utility or technological breakthrough.

Simultaneously, the market operates as a fortress. Access to this market, or perhaps specific sectors within it, is heavily guarded. The 'sentries' described do not just check credentials; they impose arbitrary and esoteric barriers. The example given is guards asking about the color of one's aura, symbolizing a shift away from meritocratic or technical evaluation toward subjective, nonsensical, or bureaucratic gatekeeping.