About the book

What if the greatest threat to your freedom was something you welcomed with open arms?

We live in a world where smart devices anticipate our needs, digital assistants complete our sentences, and cities are optimized for seamless, efficient living. But behind the curtain of convenience lies something far more dangerous—a silent system of control so elegant, so integrated, that most people never see the bars. In The Gilded CAiGE, author R. Dale Brunet pulls back the digital veil to reveal the hidden structures shaping modern life.

From facial recognition on our streets to algorithmic judges in our courts, Brunet explores how artificial intelligence, surveillance, and predictive governance are reconfiguring the very foundations of human autonomy. This isn’t science fiction—it’s the architecture of our present. Far from a dystopian scream,

The Gilded CAiGE is a thoughtful, urgent invitation to awareness. With razor-sharp insight and real-world examples, Brunet challenges readers to examine the systems they interact with every day—and to ask who benefits when convenience replaces choice. Whether you're a technologist, policymaker, activist, or simply someone trying to make sense of the world, this book will change how you see the digital landscape—and your place within it.