Black Mirror’s “Be Right Back” prompted me with a number of questions regarding how I myself might approach a situation in which I could interact with a reconstructed version of a dearly departed loved one. The technology presented within the episode doesn’t seem so horribly far-fetched, given the development of text-based AI (see Cleverbot) in recent years. So perhaps we will be presented with similar choices in the years ahead. How should we proceed?
I’m attempting to imagine what considerations Martha must have attended to in deciding to initially open the email from the beta program, to reach out to the reconstructed version of Ash, and then to invest in a physical manifestation of this reconstruction — knowing full well that it wasn’t really him. Martha is depicted as an otherwise perfectly rational human who is grieving the loss of a loved one. What push and pull factors affected her decisions? What are the pros and cons of pursuing a remodeled version of someone so dear?
I move to thinking about how I personally might react if I found myself in a similar situation. It is horribly painful to lose someone dear to you and process the gravity of no longer being able to communicate with them. Faced with such a choice, I would consider the fact that my interaction with this new “being” would not be the same as that with my departed loved one, but perhaps hope that the reconstructed version would retain enough of the essence of that person to bring me some comfort. Maybe this version would serve as a temporary, transitional support, to help me accept the loss and eventually move on. Clearly illustrated by the episode, however, it is easy to become attached to such perceptions, perhaps making it even more difficult to move on.
Considerations for the future: Is there a less dramatic version of this technology that would, in fact, ease the transition and provide comfort during the grieving period?