Yes that could possibly happen but I believe you forgot one thing. That scenario is only more plausible if the world kept going the way it is now.
If say in a year from now this so called virus/bacteria started to ravish the world it would put technology and the need for advanced Ai on the back burner.
Society would fall apart and leave everything at a stagnant state for a long time.
Also the book seems interesting. I will be checking it out and your stories premise also seems very interesting.