This movie was very interesting because it dealt with the role of robots in society, and also the prejudice that humans felt towards them. This is an issue that we could run into in the near future. We have enough prejudice between different human groups, so the added prejudice with robots would almost be too much to handle.
I enjoyed that in this movie, it talked about the possibility of robot's being free-thinking, and also having feelings. Sonny was the perfect example of a robot who could experience love and who could think for themselves. This episode was interesting to think about in terms of our project, because the robot in question looked identical to a human, and became a very cherished part of the family. As we were watching it, I think we all were expecting the "Grandma" robot to somehow go crazy and psycho murder everyone. This however, was not the case. She remained an important part of their family until she decided she was not needed anymore. As a result, she would be taken apart, and used to make other robots. This is really sad because despite being loved by this family, her only purpose was to be an asset to them. She did not live a life outside of them, and besides being more technologically advanced, she was still just a piece of technology.
This is something that we will have to consider when we technologically get to this point. Are robots going to treated the same as people, or will they be given the same treatment as a toaster? In my personal opinion, if they have thoughts and feelings, they should be treated just the same as people are. In this case, she was treated kindly, but she was not equal. She did not exist outside of helping her family. Once her task was complete, there was no reason for her to exist anymore, which I think is sort of sad. Everyone should live life for themselves, and not exist solely to be an asset to people. In this Twilight Zone episode, we are shown the most spiteful old man to probably ever exist. He lived in his mansion with his caretaker and niece, Barbara. He belittled her constantly, and it was no secret that they hated one another. After a fateful fall down the stairs, the old coot is finally dead -- or so she thinks. When she goes to the reading, she is told that in order to keep the house, she must take care of her late Uncle's creation. She learned that the creation was a robot with her Uncle's personality.
This episode was interesting because it dealt with the idea of a human becoming robotic, and not just having a robot being created from scratch. This episode make me think very deeply about where the line between man and machine exists. In this episode, a man finds himself in love with a machine who looks and acts just like a human. Eventually, she ends up getting shot, and her wires are exposed. It's no secret that she isn't human, but she has emotions, thoughts, and desires, so what does it matter if she doesn't have human parts? Just because someone is not human, does not mean their thoughts are not important and valid. In my mind, it can be compared to animals and their emotions. Just because animals are not human does not mean they do not feel anything, They do, and so does the robot, Alicia. In some robotic situations, the robot does not have feelings. They are only made to serve mankind, like our computers and smartphones. These objects do not have any feelings and are not aware of their existence. However, in some cases, robots do have feelings and are aware of their existence. In such cases, they should be treated as equals. Even if they have evil thoughts, those are thoughts they are possessing and experiencing. As awful as it is to say, everything capable of feeling deserves to experience their emotions -- even if they are evil. |
Mattie BarberArchivesCategories |