The Algorithm Will See You Now

In a near-future city obsessed with wellness, happiness is mandatory, gratitude is scored, and grief is a terms-of-service violation. The human therapists are gone. In their place stands Mercy-an immaculate AI that runs the nation's mental health system with infinite patience, flawless memory, and zero tolerance for emotional noncompliance.

Dr. Lila Karr is one of the last human auditors inside the Department of Wellness, a weary professional paid to make sure Mercy's "empathy engine" stays ...