Film Clip (143)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2010
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room as a small site among friends soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.
- Kinolab
- 2010
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2010
Facebook Origins and Control Over Photos
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room as a small site among friends soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.
With increased sophistication of hacking, are anyone’s photos ever private in a digital space? When personal photos are uploaded to digital platforms for one purpose, how can users ensure that they are not used for another purpose? Has Facebook truly evolved beyond its roots of using photos to make binary judgements about people, or will this “hot or not” program always be a part of its character? How are women in particular targeted and impacted by privacy of photos? How does this narrative highlight some of the problems with the use of Facebook today? How did Facebook’s “coolness,” along with its apparent lack of cost for use, help it corner markets and make unfathomable profits?
The Social Network: Opening Scene-
- 3 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
Nathan, a computer programmer, lives in an imagined version of 2033 in which all cars are equipped with a vocal assistant and an autonomous drive program. When he takes control of his own car and drives recklessly, he is pulled over by a police drone. Eventually, he meets his demise when the autonomous drive in his car fails to recognize a parked truck in the middle of the road.
- Kinolab
- 2020
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- 3 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
Self-Driving Vehicles and Drone Traffic Stops
Nathan, a computer programmer, lives in an imagined version of 2033 in which all cars are equipped with a vocal assistant and an autonomous drive program. When he takes control of his own car and drives recklessly, he is pulled over by a police drone. Eventually, he meets his demise when the autonomous drive in his car fails to recognize a parked truck in the middle of the road.
What are the dangers of autonomous drive programs? Should AI be trusted to handle potentially lethal situations? What are the pros and cons of using police drones instead of police cars to monitor traffic? What are the benefits of using self-driving vehicles? How can they free up their owners to do other work or spend leisure time, without the need for human labor? In the case of mistakes made by these vehicles, is the owner responsible or the vehicle?
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- 10 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
After dying in a car crash, computer programmer Nathan’s consciousness is uploaded into the Lakeview program, one of many digital afterlives in which resurrected consciousnesses are guided through the virtual reality by a living “angel” figure. After Nathan struggles to adapt to his new reality, his angel figure, Nora, appears in the virtual reality to convince him to stay. However, Nora is having struggles of her own in convincing her father to accept the virtual afterlife in place of a supposed real heaven. For a similar premise, see the narrative “Afterlives and Liberation in Digital Utopias” on the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror.
- Kinolab
- 2020
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- 10 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
Virtual Afterlives and Adaptation
After dying in a car crash, computer programmer Nathan’s consciousness is uploaded into the Lakeview program, one of many digital afterlives in which resurrected consciousnesses are guided through the virtual reality by a living “angel” figure. After Nathan struggles to adapt to his new reality, his angel figure, Nora, appears in the virtual reality to convince him to stay. However, Nora is having struggles of her own in convincing her father to accept the virtual afterlife in place of a supposed real heaven. For a similar premise, see the narrative “Afterlives and Liberation in Digital Utopias” on the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror.
How might digital afterlives change the role of religion in the conceptualization of what happens after death? Is digital immortality in contradiction with religion? In this world, access to certain afterlives are determined by wealth, with more cushy afterlives costing more money. What ethical concerns does this raise? If there is to be a digital afterlife, does everyone need a fair shot at access? Should everyone have a fair shot at access, even if they led an evil life? Should such technology as this be privatized and under centralized control? Is it feasible to have people remain in the virtual world forever, or will VR never match up to actual reality?
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- 2 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
Nightly is an app used prominently in dating and hookup culture in this imagined version of 2033. It includes features such as a rating and comment system, a consent requirement, and body cameras. This narrative details the experience of a woman named Nora as she uses the technology with a hookup
- Kinolab
- 2020
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- 2 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
Online Dating Devices
Nightly is an app used prominently in dating and hookup culture in this imagined version of 2033. It includes features such as a rating and comment system, a consent requirement, and body cameras. This narrative details the experience of a woman named Nora as she uses the technology with a hookup
How is the future of dating impacted by advanced dating apps? How do we ensure consent in hookup culture, and how can technology help with this (such as bodycams and consent trackers)? Moreover, is it ethical to use ranking and rating systems on people, such as with online apps like those for dating or other services? Isn’t human interaction subjective?
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- 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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- 8 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. One of these hosts, Maeve, is programmed to be a prostitute who runs the same narrative every single day with the same personality. After several incidences of becoming conscious of her previous iterations, Maeve is told by Lutz, a worker in the Westworld lab, that she is a robot whose design and thoughts are mostly determined by humans, despite the fact that she feels and appears similar to humans such as Lutz. Lutz helps Maeve in her resistance against tyrannical rule over robots by altering her core code, allowing her to access capabilities previous unavailable to other hosts such as the ability to harm humans and the ability to control other robotic hosts.
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 8 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Maeve Part III: Robot Resistance and Empowerment
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. One of these hosts, Maeve, is programmed to be a prostitute who runs the same narrative every single day with the same personality. After several incidences of becoming conscious of her previous iterations, Maeve is told by Lutz, a worker in the Westworld lab, that she is a robot whose design and thoughts are mostly determined by humans, despite the fact that she feels and appears similar to humans such as Lutz. Lutz helps Maeve in her resistance against tyrannical rule over robots by altering her core code, allowing her to access capabilities previous unavailable to other hosts such as the ability to harm humans and the ability to control other robotic hosts.
Should robots be given a fighting chance to be able to resemble humans, especially in terms of fighting for their own autonomy? Should robots ever be left in charge of other robots? How could this promote a tribalism which is dangerous to humans? Can robots develop their own personality, or does everything simply come down to coding, and which way is “better”?