How can they manipulate 10 billion people and no one notices?
Like it has been done throughout the history. If someone can control the minds and thoughts of the public they can abuse them to the point of slavery.
Yes you are right. By circus, plays, movies, sports and all sorts of these things.
The worst thing is that now they don't even need other human beings to produce arts, music and films. All things are done by humanoid robots.
They control the educational systems too.
And all the important positions of power are occupied by them.
Through the history rulers and people in the positions of power tried to manipulate the public and abuse them by social engineering.
Nowadays with the invention of internet and widespread use of social media platforms it has been much easier to engineer social opinions.
Now imagine in the near future who it becomes easy to manipulate the public opinion by who has the power of Artificial Intelligence.
In our story in happening in the future are discussing how to set the human race from the slavery of intelligent bots and systems controlled by the governments.
In that era all management positions are occupied by humanoid robots. The healthcare, educational system, even the film and music and arts are all at the control of robots.
In this situation these two scientists have a plan to release the human race from slavery.
They try to do it with utmost secrecy.
But ultimately they are caught.
Because the CIA is also now running by these supper intelligent humanoid robots!