Can machines fall in love?
The question goes further than whether AI will become conscious someday and is playfully explored in a new film released this year, "Love Me". In the movie Kristen Stewart plays a "smart" buoy, designed to measure ocean conditions, and Steven Yeun plays an orbiting satellite with the history of extinct humanity in its immense memory-bank. There are no other actors in the film and neither character is human.
The machines court, woo and desire connection. So doing, they replicate human behaviors found in social media records left behind by long-dead humans. We feel their struggle to grasp why they exist and what it means to be alive. The movie raises important philosophical issues while entertaining in unexpected ways. We root for the machines' humanity even knowing they don't possess any. That's a tribute to the legacy our species may someday leave behind.
"...doing, they replicate human behaviors found in social media records left behind..."
ReplyDeleteWell, thank goodness they followed the path of love and kindness, rather than the usual huff and guff on (anti) social media 😁
Thank you for the film suggestion, I'll keep an eye out for it.
I stumbled upon this film on an obscure cable channel but see it's also available on DVD (in public libraries).
DeleteWhat an unusual premise for a film but I guess that is the age we're living in...the Twilight Zone of what was once sci-fi that is now quickly beaming reality. It reminds me a bit of "Her" and I really liked that film. Have you seen it?
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
Yes, I saw "Her" when it came out and enjoyed it. This similar sci-fi initially sounds far-fetched but is done so well you buy into it quickly. And then it seems totally normal!
DeleteLooks interesting! I'll watch it!
ReplyDeleteI predict you'll like this. It starts slow but if you give it 10-15 minutes to warm up, you'll get hooked.
DeleteI'll have to add it to my watch list! I hadn't heard of it.
ReplyDeleteA small budget indie film it got little promotion. I did catch Kristen though mentioning it on a talk show earlier in the year. Hard to market "...and Kristen Stewart plays a buoy!"
DeleteAlly, I love how you frame the question as being about love and meaning rather than just consciousness, it feels much more human that way.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of machines learning how to connect by piecing together fragments of social media left behind by extinct humans is both poignant and unsettling. It says so much about us: that our traces might teach longing and imitation, but not quite explain why connection matters.
I’m struck by your final thought though, that we root for the machines’ humanity while knowing they don’t possess it. There’s something moving in that, as if empathy itself might be one of the clearest markers of what humanity was. If this is part of the legacy we leave behind, it’s a fragile but strangely beautiful one.
Thanks
Lotte x
Exactly. That's the point being made.
DeleteAn intriguing concept!!
ReplyDeleteI heard about this one.
ReplyDelete