Although Martha was not in a state to make the right decision, by interacting with “Ash 2.0” she hinders the process of forgetting Ash. Instead of letting her emotions dictate her actions, she should’ve coped with the situation on her own (without the use of the program). Also, there is one scene that brings into question the safety of such technology. After Martha becomes upset that “Ash 2.0” will never be like the real Ash, she orders the robot to leave her house. “Ash 2.0” is stopped and Martha tells him to hit her. Such technology must be programmed to protect humans and follow orders that do not harm the owner.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Be Right Back
In “Black Mirror: Be Right Back,” Martha and Ash move into their new home and the following day, Ash dies in a traffic accident. Martha is left devastated. During the funeral, her friend informs her of a new service that allows people to communicate with their deceased family members by using information on the internet and common social media sites. At first, Martha rejects her suggestion but after finding out that she is pregnant, she decides to talk to “Ash.” After talking to “Ash” for several days, she is informed that there is another “level” to the service; a robot that can be programmed to look and act like Ash. After purchasing and activating the robot, “Ash 2.0,” she notices that it does not act appropriately in some situations. For example, she points out that “Ash 2.0” is not aroused when touching her breasts. The real Ash would have been turned on by this action. It is only when she commands “Ash 2.0” to “turn on” that they proceed to have sex. Martha then grows frustrated with the robot as it is not human enough and places it in the attic.
Although Martha was not in a state to make the right decision, by interacting with “Ash 2.0” she hinders the process of forgetting Ash. Instead of letting her emotions dictate her actions, she should’ve coped with the situation on her own (without the use of the program). Also, there is one scene that brings into question the safety of such technology. After Martha becomes upset that “Ash 2.0” will never be like the real Ash, she orders the robot to leave her house. “Ash 2.0” is stopped and Martha tells him to hit her. Such technology must be programmed to protect humans and follow orders that do not harm the owner.
Although Martha was not in a state to make the right decision, by interacting with “Ash 2.0” she hinders the process of forgetting Ash. Instead of letting her emotions dictate her actions, she should’ve coped with the situation on her own (without the use of the program). Also, there is one scene that brings into question the safety of such technology. After Martha becomes upset that “Ash 2.0” will never be like the real Ash, she orders the robot to leave her house. “Ash 2.0” is stopped and Martha tells him to hit her. Such technology must be programmed to protect humans and follow orders that do not harm the owner.
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Very interesting. Even though Ash 2.0 does not physically harm Martha, do you think he harms her emotionally? You bring up the importance of forgetting, which is something I haven't thought about before. How important is forgetting?
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