If we are
talking about TV series, I’m definitely not a freak. But when I decide to watch
some of them – it must be very interesting and thought-provoking. As ‘Black mirror’ is. I have no idea if anyone of
you have watched it, but if not – I highly recommend it to you. Of course there
are some more and less interesting episodes, but it generally in my opinion is
worth watching.
Basically
the whole series presents a future vision to us. Sometimes it might be
hilarious, sometimes scary and often thought-provoking. I would like to discuss
with you one of the visions presented there. I am aware not everybody has time
to watch it so (sorry) I have to spoil it for you ;). The whole series have a lot in common with
technology, so I think it may interest many of you. One of the episodes is
about an opportunity to talk or rather chat with a dead person. But let’s start from the beginning.
There are a couple of people, they love each other, they can’t live without each
other. As it happens even now, a boyfriend called Ash spends a lot of time
online sharing, posting, commenting and wasting his time on Twitter, Facebook
and so on. One day he leaves home and
never comes back because of a car accident. Of course his girlfriend Martha is
depressed, miserable and she doesn’t know what to do and how to manage this
whole situation. At the funeral a friend of Ash and Martha – Sara offers her a
strange way to cheer her up. She says that Sara can talk to her dead boyfriend
even though he is already absent. At first Martha goes mad and furious, she
doesn’t want to listen to Sara’s ridiculous ideas.
A few days
later Martha finds out that Sara despite
Martha’s protests, has registered her in an application designed to chat
with dead people.
And here is
a description of an app (what’s probably the most interesting for most of you):
inasmuch Ash spends a lot of time online – the Internet has a lot of data about
him like his way of chatting, his voice from the videos he posted, his probable
reactions for many actions and so on, so the app can allow someone to chat with
him even if he’s dead. Freaky, isn’t it?
http://i0.wp.com/film.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/film.org.pl_brb-7.jpg?resize=780%2C387
So let’s
move on. At first Martha is embarrassed (who wouldn’t be?) talking to her dead
boyfriend but after some time, she feels well talking to him all the time and
she slowly starts to forget that he is not real. She chats with him, talks with
him on the phone and then she scouts out that there is a new, beta version of
an app – she can order something like ‘mannequin’ which looks, moves and talks
like her dead boyfriend.
http://67.media.tumblr.com/0643145142389ebf0233aa4496e2240b/tumblr_mk6cz3Uezx1qzoziho9_1280.png
I don’t
want to be such a cruel person giving away the whole plot, so I leave it at
this stage. To find out what has happened next and how this whole
creepy-ridiculous story ends you have to watch it ;).
Like I said
at the beginning – I would like to get your opinions about this whole thing.
What do you think about it? If this kind of application would be available now
– would you like to use it? What should people think about it? Be indignant or
rather thankful for such a great facility? Do you think that this kind of story
may happen someday? Does the Internet and its developers have any ethical
limits? I’m looking forward to our discussion.
Comments
I would definitely not use this kind of application, because I think that we have to deal with the fact that someone is no longer in our life and that's the way life goes.
It's a controversial topic, but I think that supply creates its own demand, and if there was such app people would use it despite ethical issues.
I think the whole concept is positive because it can be used to help people, but honestly it seems so artificial to me and a bit unethical because it crosses the line between what is natural and unnatural.
Your article about this episode and whole idea is really interesting. Some people are already, with help of a.i. ,trying to create something like chat with dead person based on his or her internet activity, here is an interesting article about it:
http://www.theverge.com/a/luka-artificial-intelligence-memorial-roman-mazurenko-bot
People leave so many personal data in internet that I'm sure that in few years we will see such chats. Personally i wouldn't like to have a conversation with dead person. However, for many people it would be easier to deal with for example tragic loss of someone from family.
I am really interesting in which way will this idea evolve.
In one episode the director demonstrated us how we will be able to be immortal, but the way in which the woman talked with died Ash was kinda crazy. Even more when she bought mannequin pretended to be him. For me it was incorrect way to deceive death.