social commentary

Humans is a British show about artificial intelligence, currently in its third season. This show has gone under the radar a bit. But it shouldn’t have. The plot is that the average suburban family in the future has a domestic android to help with the kids and the housecleaning. Chaos ensues, as people test the limits of the robots capabilities. Husbands and wives begin sleeping with the bots, behind each other’s backs. Sometimes they malfunction, and have to be put down. But the kids are attached to the bots, and shield them or the bots flee. A robot even commits suicide. There are also robot brothels.

Meanwhile, in a further experiment, other bots have gained higher consciousness. William Hurt makes an appearance as the former mad scientist’s buddy, who tries to shield one of the more advanced models from capture.

Many ethical questions ensue. If a robot is asked to kill another robot, will it kill them, or turn on the humans? Also what do robots want, to conquer humans, or to be human, and be adopted by a family? Are the robots influenced by abuse, to where they resent humanity? Are they responsible for their actions, or do they not know any better (when they malfunction)? How do robots feel about having been created simply as part of an experiment, rather than in some sort of divine creation?

This show answers all these questions, and more. After nearly completing the first season, it appears the show is saying the average person is so cruel and heartless, that the bots can teach us something about humanity. The show seems to imply that maybe humanity does not deserve to live.

Besides having to spend weeks on end finding the perfect gift for everyone, only to have them re-gift or sell most of the items, Americans wind up putting themselves into debt for 3-6 months afterwards.

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/personal-finance/american-shoppers-holiday-debt/2018/01/02/id/834728/

This virtual grab-bag is an inefficient use of the economy, and leaves the average person saddled with over a grand in extra debt per annum. The cycle of waste continues unabated. But if you don’t do some gifts and celebrate a bit, you won’t have many friends in the end. So Christmas slavery is another inevitable feature of the American economy.

The best thing would be if everyone just bought each other fine spirits for the holidays, and got together to be drunk and merry. Instead, people mindlessly click on item after item on Amazon, working the poor UPS truck drivers to death – over and over. You wind up getting 20 sweaters a year, while living in a warm climate. Bottle after bottle of cologne , so much to where you could never use it. You get a gift card, and you get them a gift card. On and on this process goes in a circle. And its time consuming and tiring not just to shop and guess the right gift for everyone. But the boxes that come in the mail must be broken down , which is time-consuming, and made to fit into already over-flowing suburban recycling bins. The whole process is an exercise in hubris.