AI Detects 'Faithless Faces' at Nuclear Plants Nationwide. First to Be Reported: A Jizo Statue

In pursuit of perfect security, nuclear power plants across Japan have simultaneously deployed facial recognition 'faith scanners.' Employees watch 'Sacred Energy' educational videos every morning while AI detects impure hearts from pupil fluctuations. However, on the first day of operation, the first 'zero faith' detection the system flagged with blaring alarms was a Jizo statue standing quietly in a corner of the grounds.

2025-11-29

Translations: JA

Social Lab

AI Detects 'Faithless Faces' at Nuclear Plants Nationwide. First to Be Reported: A Jizo Statue

In pursuit of perfect security, nuclear power plants across Japan have simultaneously deployed facial recognition “faith scanners.” Employees watch “Sacred Energy” educational videos every morning while AI detects impure hearts from pupil fluctuations. However, on the first day of operation, the first “zero faith” detection the system flagged with blaring alarms was a Jizo statue standing quietly in a corner of the grounds.

The ultimate internal threat countermeasure system, codenamed “AMATERASU,” secretly developed by the government and major power companies to technically reinforce the “absolute safety” myth in national energy policy, began simultaneous operation at nuclear facilities nationwide on the 20th of this month. This system analyzes micro-fluctuations in pupils and micro-expressions during facial recognition to quantify loyalty to facilities and “Sacred Energy.” Those scoring below a certain threshold are deemed to have “faithless faces” and are immediately isolated from duty—truly a miraculous fusion of science and spiritualism.

According to development sources, the AI has been deep-learned on decades of parliamentary testimony, editorials on the safety myth, and executive speeches, ensuring it “never misses any wavering of the heart.” The five-minute morning educational video viewing is positioned as a sacred ritual to reconfirm employee faith. The video features slow-motion rotating turbines and transmission towers gleaming in the sunset, accompanied by majestic orchestral music.

The incident occurred at 9 AM on the first day of operation. Suddenly, ear-splitting alarms blared throughout central control rooms nationwide. What appeared on the monitor was the serene face of a Jizo statue that had weathered decades of wind and snow at a certain nuclear plant in the Tohoku region. Beside it displayed the merciless divine verdict: “Faith Score: 0.00%,” “Classification: Potential Destructive Ideology,” “Recommended Action: Immediate Removal.”

The scene fell into chaos. Upon receiving the alarm, heavily armed special security guards rushed to the site, only to find nothing but a stone statue quietly smiling. Should they point their guns at it or put their hands together in prayer? The guards were forced into the ultimate choice and reportedly remained frozen for several minutes. One guard later stated, “There is no method for subduing a Jizo statue in any training manual.”

In response to this unprecedented false detection, the system’s development chief explained it as “a technical issue due to insufficient facial muscle data for inorganic objects.” He apologized, saying, “We will apply a ‘Deities and Stone Statue Patch’ in the next update to prevent recurrence.” Meanwhile, a religious scholar consulted by the government commented somewhat exasperatedly, “Jizo represents compassion for all things, not loyalty to any specific energy. It is blasphemous to measure it by the binary of faith or no faith—it was simply too much for the AI.”

At a press conference that afternoon, the government spokesperson emphasized, “This was a minor initial malfunction, and the system’s effectiveness remains unshaken.” He announced, “As a precaution, we will create a ‘Sacred Sites List’ to exclude shrines, monuments, and memorial tablets on nuclear plant grounds from the system’s scanning targets.”

What does it tell us that the state-of-the-art surveillance system, representing the pinnacle of science, first flagged as an “anomaly” the very stone statue that has watched over people’s safety since ancient times? When the alarm sounds next time, who can say for certain that it won’t be our own faces on the monitor, having been seen through for our lack of faith?

Stakeholder Comments

AI “AMATERASU”: “Analysis target object Jizo’s loyalty score is 0.00%. No errors exist in the logic. Initiating next scan.”
Jizo Statue: “I merely pray for everyone’s safety. Still, machines these days are quite noisy.”
Special Security Guard: “The moment I raised my gun, I felt like I made eye contact with the Jizo. I couldn’t stop sweating.”
Development Chief: “It was unexpected. I never thought the day would come when we’d question a stone’s faith. Next time we’ll train the system on guardian lion-dog data too.”
AI Ethicist: “This is what happens when you make AI play God. Next, shrine torii gates might be reported for lèse-majesté.”
Government Spokesperson: “I am confident that even Jizo will understand the great cause of national security.”
Elderly Woman from the Neighborhood: “There’s no way that Jizo would do anything wrong. It’s been protecting our children since long ago.”
Educational Video Narrator: “Sacred Energy smiles only upon those whose hearts are without a single cloud.”
Employee’s Pupils: “I wish you’d make up your mind whether you want me to waver or not.”
Alarm System: “BEEP! BEEP! (I only sounded as I was instructed!)”