> Strictly speaking, they don't even need us as customers.

I think they'd employ some number of humans for entertainment.

At that point, why bother to employ? If we have no recourse, no power to resist them (as must be the case in that scenario), then they might as well just keep us as pets.

Or slaves.

they're already replacing actors with AI, mate. Once the slop machine gets better you won't know the difference