I'll "Be Right Back"...When I'm Done Questioning the Future

What does technology and the future hold for humanity?  What could it look like? What could it feel like? These questions are naturally invoked when viewing the episode “Be Right Back” from Charlie Brooker’s science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.

It seems clear when viewing this episode of the Black Mirror series that technology has already brought us to a new place in our history. While the character “Ash” uses his smart phone, he ignores the character “Martha’s” conversation. The phone consumes his attention. We can confirm this portrayal to be accurate already. It would be entertaining to know how many people walked into a trashcan today while paying more attention to their phone than surroundings. Assuming they were unharmed of course. We literally have signs to remind ourselves not to text and drive because it could kill or harm us and or those around us. Yes, it is quite clear that digital technology has greatly impacted us and will continue to do so in the future.

The picture goes on to show how technology could further affect us in the future. The technology of the picture is an artificial simulation of Ash’s person to help Martha cope with his death. First by replicating his speech then by replicating his physical presence through a machine. Martha ultimately rejects this technology because it is simply not the real deal. But it raises a question? Instead of using digital information to create an artificial Ash, could we convert our biological conscience into digital information to be uploaded to a machine rendering us immortal? Is this something we should be striving to attain or is death a necessary part of life?

While technology presently is no where near the capability of anything from this science fiction short, it does raise important questions for humanity that will have to be answered as we continue to advance into the information age.  Questions like: Should we be trying to replicate ourselves with machines? Are humans just intelligent mammals or is there more to our being? If we create intelligent machines, should we think of them as more than just machines? What could be negative side affects from continuing to improve machine intelligence?

Technology & the Future

Maybe We Should Think This Through??

            While I would agree that most of these questions may seem far-fetched. We are reaching a time where answering them correctly could mean the difference between humanity existing in the future or being eradicated as the human race continues to play with fire so to speak.  While the true intentions of this science fiction picture may not be fully clear, I applause Charlie Brooker for raising questions in the minds of viewers that will demand answers by humanity in the near future.