Themes (353)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 6 min
- Kinolab
- 2019
In an imagined future of London, citizens all across the globe are connected to the Feed, a device and network accessed constantly through a brain-computer interface. Kate Hatfield, a new mother, discovers that someone has hacked into the device in her head, and thus was able to access some of her lived memories. Later, the culprit of this hack is revealed to be her father-in-law Lawrence, who was attempting to implant the Feed into Bea, the new baby.
- Kinolab
- 2019
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- 6 min
- Kinolab
- 2019
Consent and Control with Personal Data
In an imagined future of London, citizens all across the globe are connected to the Feed, a device and network accessed constantly through a brain-computer interface. Kate Hatfield, a new mother, discovers that someone has hacked into the device in her head, and thus was able to access some of her lived memories. Later, the culprit of this hack is revealed to be her father-in-law Lawrence, who was attempting to implant the Feed into Bea, the new baby.
What are the dangers that come with ‘backing up’ memory to some type of cloud account? What risks are posed by hackers and corporations that run such backing up services? Is there something special about the transient, temporary nature of human memory that should remain as it is? How much of our privacy are we willing to sacrifice in order for safety/connectivity? How should consent work in terms of installing a brain-computer interface into a person? Should a parent or other family member be able to decide this for a child?
The Feed: Kate's Mundles-
- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2019
In an imagined future of London, citizens all across the globe are connected to the Feed, a device and network accessed constantly through a brain-computer interface. Tom is a member of the Hatfield family, the owner of the tech monopoly which created this technology. The Feed allows people to alter their perception of reality, whether this means changing the appearance of people and places or playing music over any environmental noise.
- Kinolab
- 2019
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- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2019
Omnipresent Technology and Altering Reality
In an imagined future of London, citizens all across the globe are connected to the Feed, a device and network accessed constantly through a brain-computer interface. Tom is a member of the Hatfield family, the owner of the tech monopoly which created this technology. The Feed allows people to alter their perception of reality, whether this means changing the appearance of people and places or playing music over any environmental noise.
What are potential consequences of getting large numbers of people addicted to brain-computer interface technologies that can easily be hacked? How does this deprive people of autonomy? How can digital addiction de-sensitize people to the “real world”? How could augmented reality fundamentally change industries such as interior design, event planning, and even travel? How can virtual reality tech be used to bring us closer, and connect people together? What will virtual meetings look like in the future, with the potential for holograms and a complete immersive experience?
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- 3 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Bernard, a humanoid robot who previously believed himself to be a regular human, questions his maker, Ford, on what makes him different from humans, to which Ford replies that the line is very thin and arbitrary.
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 3 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Robot Consciousness
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Bernard, a humanoid robot who previously believed himself to be a regular human, questions his maker, Ford, on what makes him different from humans, to which Ford replies that the line is very thin and arbitrary.
Why do humans cling to ‘consciousness’ as the thing that separates us from advanced machines? Is consciousness real or imagined, and if it is constructed in the mind, can it be replicated in AI’s ‘mind programming’? Would that be a same or different kind of consciousness? Should robots be given the capability for consciousness or self-actualization if that leads to tangible pain, for example in the form of a tragic backstory? If robots are to have consciousness, do they need to be able to essentially act like a human in every other way?
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- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Bernard, an engineer at the park, recently oversaw an update to add “reveries,” or slight fake memories, into the coding of the robots to make them seem more human. However, members of the board overseeing the park demonstrate that these reveries can sometimes lead robots to remember and “hold grudges” even after they have been asked to erase their own memory, something that can lead to violent tendencies. Later, as Bernard and Theresa snoop on Ford, the director of the park, they learn shocking information, and a robot once again becomes a violent tool as Ford murders Theresa.
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
AI Memories and Self-Identification
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Bernard, an engineer at the park, recently oversaw an update to add “reveries,” or slight fake memories, into the coding of the robots to make them seem more human. However, members of the board overseeing the park demonstrate that these reveries can sometimes lead robots to remember and “hold grudges” even after they have been asked to erase their own memory, something that can lead to violent tendencies. Later, as Bernard and Theresa snoop on Ford, the director of the park, they learn shocking information, and a robot once again becomes a violent tool as Ford murders Theresa.
Is ‘memory’ uniquely human? What is the role of memory in creating advanced AI consciousness? Does memory of trauma/suffering ultimately create AI that are hostile to humans? Even if we had the technological means to give AI emotions and memory, should we? And if we do, what ethics and morals must we follow to prevent traumatic memory, such as uploading memories of a fake dead son into Bernard? How can androids which are programmed to follow the directions of one person be used for violent ends? If robots are programmed to not hurt humans, how are they supposed to protect themselves from bad actors, especially if they believe themselves human? Should humans create humanoid replicant robots that do not possess any inherently negative human traits, such as anxiety?
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2002
In the year 2054, the PreCrime police program is about to go national. At PreCrime, three clairvoyant humans known as “PreCogs” are able to forecast future murders by streaming audiovisual data which provides the surrounding details of the crime, including the names of the victims and perpetrators. Joe Anderson, the former head of the PreCrime policing program, is named as a future perpetrator and must flee from his former employer. Due to the widespread nature of retinal scanning biometric technology, he is found quickly, and thus must undergo an eye transplant. While recovering in a run-down apartment, the PreCrime officers deploy spider-shaped drones to scan the retinas of everyone in the building.
- Kinolab
- 2002
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2002
Retinal Scans and Immediate Identification
In the year 2054, the PreCrime police program is about to go national. At PreCrime, three clairvoyant humans known as “PreCogs” are able to forecast future murders by streaming audiovisual data which provides the surrounding details of the crime, including the names of the victims and perpetrators. Joe Anderson, the former head of the PreCrime policing program, is named as a future perpetrator and must flee from his former employer. Due to the widespread nature of retinal scanning biometric technology, he is found quickly, and thus must undergo an eye transplant. While recovering in a run-down apartment, the PreCrime officers deploy spider-shaped drones to scan the retinas of everyone in the building.
Is it possible that people would consent to having their retinas scanned in general public places if it meant a more personalized experience of that space? Should government be able to deceive people into giving up their private data, as social media companies already do? How can people protect themselves from retinal scanning and other biometric identification technologies on small and large scales?
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Dolores, one of these hosts, begins to fall in love with William, a human visitor, and he reciprocates those feelings as he expresses his unhappiness with a planned marriage waiting for him in the real world outside the park. After Dolores is initially angry, she nonetheless rejoins forces with William to search for a place beyond the theme-park Western reality that she has always known.
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Relationships and Escapism with AI
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Dolores, one of these hosts, begins to fall in love with William, a human visitor, and he reciprocates those feelings as he expresses his unhappiness with a planned marriage waiting for him in the real world outside the park. After Dolores is initially angry, she nonetheless rejoins forces with William to search for a place beyond the theme-park Western reality that she has always known.
Is William’s love for Dolores ‘true’ love, or is it impossible for a human to truly love an AI and vice versa? If AI are programmed to feel emotions, can their love be equally as real as human love? What issues may arise if robots become a means through which humans escape their real life problems and complicated relationships? What are the potential consequences for both robots and people if robots escape the scenario for which they were specifically engineered, and try to live a life in the real world? Should this be allowed?