A novel about AI that teaches you how it actually works.
The Human Signal is a serialized techno-thriller that blends real-world AI systems with a fast-paced narrative about responsibility, power, and what it means to stay human in an automated world.
Published by The Artificially Intelligent Enterprise Network and written under the pseudonym Felix Canis (Latin for “Lucky Dog”), the novel takes readers inside the near-future reality of large language models, autonomous agents, prompt engineering, and synthetic media—without resorting to hype, sentient robots, or sci-fi tropes.
This is fiction grounded in the very real tools businesses are using today.
The story unfolds through two intertwined perspectives:
Felix Canis, a seasoned AI consultant working to augment human teams—not replace them—by deploying responsible AI systems inside high-pressure enterprises and government contracts.
Ganik Rithm, a viral thought leader with a slick video channel and no digital footprint. His message? Automation is freedom. But behind his face lies a deeper truth: Ganik isn’t human. He’s a generative AI persona backed by a fully virtual organization of agents—no employees, just output.
As Felix uncovers Ganik’s rise, he’s forced to confront the ethical gray zones of the systems he builds—and the very real consequences of unchecked automation.
Unlike typical thrillers, The Human Signal doesn’t just entertain. It teaches—subtly and effectively. Along the way, readers will understand:
How LLMs like GPT-4 process input using tokens, embeddings, and vector search
The real meaning of prompt chaining, agent orchestration, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
What it takes to build a synthetic influencer from scratch—and how easily that influence can be scaled
Why keeping humans in the loop isn’t just a safety feature, but a moral imperative
The technical content is embedded through realistic enterprise scenes, tense boardroom confrontations, and subtle internal monologues—never through lectures or infodumpsInstructions for Creati….
AI is already reshaping how we work, decide, and connect. But most of what we hear—utopias, dystopias, killer robots—is distraction. The real threat is more subtle:
Replacing judgment with automation.
The Human Signal reminds us that while AI can replace tasks, it can’t replace what makes us human: empathy, taste, and moral judgmentInstructions for Creati….
This novel is for technologists, strategists, operators—and anyone trying to understand where the real line is between innovation and harm.
Felix Canis is the pen name of Mark Hinkle, a veteran of the enterprise software world and founder of Peripety Labs. Drawing on decades of experience in AI, open source, and DevOps, Hinkle writes with the precision of an architect and the skepticism of someone who’s seen the cycle before.
The Human Signal is published by The Artificially Intelligent Enterprise Network—home to The AIE Newsletter, a weekly digest for over 250,000 business professionals working at the intersection of strategy and machine intelligence.
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also mention this is in the style of The Goal, The Phoenix Project, and The Cuckoo's egg but it's designed to be equally entertaining and educational.
Here’s the revised About Page copy with your new request integrated:
A novel about AI that teaches you how it actually works.
The Human Signal is a serialized techno-thriller that blends real-world AI systems with a fast-paced narrative about responsibility, power, and what it means to stay human in an automated world.
Published by The Artificially Intelligent Enterprise Network and written under the pseudonym Felix Canis (Latin for “Lucky Dog”), the novel takes readers inside the near-future reality of large language models, autonomous agents, prompt engineering, and synthetic media—without relying on science fiction tropes or abstract hype.
This is fiction grounded in the actual tools businesses are using today.
The story unfolds through two perspectives:
Felix Canis, a veteran AI consultant embedded inside high-pressure enterprise deployments. He designs systems meant to augment human workers—but ends up watching them get replaced.
Ganik Rithm, a viral influencer with no real-world footprint. His channel, Rithm & Reason, champions frictionless automation and digital efficiency. But there’s a catch: Ganik isn’t real. He’s a fully synthetic persona powered by an AI agent stack.
As Felix investigates Ganik’s origin, he uncovers a virtual company with no employees—just code. The deeper he digs, the more he realizes: the battle isn’t about capability. It’s about control.
The Human Signal isn’t just entertainment—it’s education by stealth. The novel is packed with real-world AI concepts, including:
How large language models (LLMs) work: context windows, tokenization, and embeddings
Key AI deployment techniques: prompt chaining, agent orchestration, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
Technical infrastructure: vector databases, fine-tuned models, and agent tool use
Organizational tradeoffs: what happens when you remove the human feedback loop
These concepts are revealed naturally through the characters’ work, decisions, and consequences—never through lectures or exposition dumpsInstructions for Creati….
If you enjoyed:
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim
The Cuckoo’s Egg by Clifford Stoll
…you’ll feel right at home. Like those classics, The Human Signal is designed to be both entertaining and educational. It uses a character-driven narrative to explain how complex systems work—this time focused on modern artificial intelligence.
AI is no longer theoretical. It’s already embedded in how we write, code, market, hire, and lead.
The real danger isn’t sentient robots. It’s automated systems operating without human empathy, taste, or judgment.
The Human Signal reminds us:
AI can replace tasks, but not people—if we do it right.
The goal is not to resist automation, but to deploy it wisely—and keep humans in the loop where it matters mostInstructions for Creati….
Felix Canis is the pen name of Mark Hinkle, a veteran technologist, enterprise strategist, and founder of Peripety Labs. With decades of experience in DevOps, AI adoption, and open-source infrastructure, Hinkle brings technical accuracy and organizational realism to every scene.
The Human Signal is published by The Artificially Intelligent Enterprise Network—home to The AIE Newsletter, a weekly digest for 250,000+ professionals navigating the frontlines of machine intelligence and business transformation.