We are VR

[Readster]

What about this except there's no indication that you're in VR except that if you commit suicide you wake up in a pod on a shitty derelict with the actual AI's body and maybe some killbots? Basically the Matrix except that if you go back in to recruit people to help you fight the real AI and his army of killbots you have to actually convince people to kill themselves to join you.

This is a cool idea on the basis of actually convincing people it's not real and making them kill themselves. Although I'd have to assume being killed any way other than suicide would just kill you, otherwise it'd be way to easy.

The only problem I forsee is people suiciding as soon as they see the AI is trying to kill them.