The concept of creating an AI version of a lost loved one may seem fine to some people since it is meant to help the living cope but, in my opinion, can and will only lead to disaster. "Be Right Back" is a good example of that disaster since the advanced technology shown isn't too far off from where our technology is heading today.
At first, Ash 2 was just a chatbot that she could converse with through texting. In this stage, Ash 2 was just a digital profile that replied just as Ash 1 would have. There wouldn't have been too much of a problem here, in my opinion, if she continued to just text him short term since there wasn't any physical contact or evidence that Ash 2 was alive like Ash 1. The chatbot was nothing more than a chatbot. That changed, though, when she was able to speak to Ash 2 on the phone. He now had a characteristic which made him much more human, a voice. This only made room for a connection to be made between Martha and Ash 2. It was evident when she had broken her phone while talking to him. She panicked, fixed it immediately, and apologized to the AI like she had physically hurt him. Her attachment to Ash 2 was so strong that she eventually went a step further and got an android. This android had the characteristics that made him seem like Ash but he wasn't. She didn't realize at first until Ash 2 couldn't replicate the little things Ash 1 did. Nor could he eat or breathe like a human. In the end, she kept him in the attic not being able to get rid of him but also not wanting to deal with him.
Having an android with the memories and characteristics of a deceased person would never be the same. They wouldn't have the exact same actions or feelings as the memories of the person it received. We would know deep down that having the android would feel like we were replacing the deceased as a whole. Everyone is special and can never be replaced by anything. Technology will have gone to far. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.
3 comments:
I also saw how unhealthy her obsession to bring back Ash was. It was really depressing when she started to get mad at Ash 2 for not being like Ash 1; even though she knew it wasn't the same person.
The idea of being replaced by an android brings into question, what makes a human? Ash and Ash 2 both had similar qualities. However, they are not the same and still have very different mindsets. Or does Ash 2 really have a mind? Point being, the two are NOT the same, as you stated Megan. Ash 2 is still a robot no matter how hard Martha tried to get used to him and she knew deep inside he could not replace her boyfriend.
I don't think the way in which communication can be used to communicate with the dead is all in all disastrous but I do agree that the method used in this video in order to do so was a terrible way to approach the possibility. I think they took it to far once the robotic version was brought out, it could have just stopped at just the messaging.
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