Humans

Work Title: Humans
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title:
Year: 2015
Writer(s): Alex Garland
"Original" Writer: No Writer(s): Äkta Människor
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

In the near future where "Synth," human-like social robotic servants become necessity of every family, Joe buys the synth Anita/Mia for helping with his housework. However, Mia is not a regular social robotic that only follows human's instructions and orders. Mia is a human-like robotic with consciousness, emotions, and ability to love. It turns out that there are other four social robotics with consciousness in the world. Their father David Elster made them and let them accompany his son, Leo Elster. On one side, the evil scientist Hobb hope to take control of these special social robotics and program them for his own sake. On the other side, Joe's family is trying to protect these synths from police, Hobb, and those people with hatred for the synths. In the end, Leo Elster's mom, Karen, one of the synths that have self-awareness, helps to save them. These synths get to choose their own life paths.

  • Self-Written?: 1
  • Source Name:
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: near_future
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Synths become necessity of every family. There are several types of robotics - cooking robotics, nursing robotics, housekeeping robotics, therapy robotics, sex robotics, etc.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Synth
  • Description of the technology: Synths are human-like social robotics. They look just like humans. They have human body. They can talk. They can move. The differences include: they need to be charged at night. They have switches.
    The owners/users interact with them just as they speak to normal people. Most of the time synths understand people's orders. Sometimes they will say, "sorry I do not understand your question." They are submissive and they play the roles of housekeepers, nurses, therapists, policemen, guards, etc. Their movement is smooth unless broken.
  • Nature of task or activity: Users only need them to help with their daily life.
  • Performance of the Technology: When synths function well, they are submissive and obedient. When there are bugs/glitches in the synths, they stutter as if something had been wrong in their programming. If synths become problematic, the companies will replace them with new ones.
  • Description of creator(s): One of the creators of the synths is an old male scientist. He is now retired. He looks like 60 to 80 years old. But he still owns his first-generation synth. The creator of the synths with consciousness has never appeared in the TV drama. It seems that he is a clever scientist who likes to invent robotics and to do lots of programming.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): To serve people, accompany people, and help people.
  • Description of users of technology: People can order synths from companies. They include middle school students, company employees, the disabled, etc. Both male and female use them.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: Users talk as if they would talk to real people. Sometimes synths cannot understand. So they will say "Sorry I do not understand your questions." Users can touch them, hug them, and switch them off if they do not want them to be "alive."
  • User awareness of technology during experience: Users are aware they are using technologies.
  • Valence of experience: Some users love synths. They rely on synths and even make love with them. Some people hate synths. They find that synths are replacing human's life and humans should fight against synths.
  • Specific responses: At the beginning, Joe and his family experience the process of desensitization because Mia looks like real human. Later, when Joe and family notice that Mia has some unusual behaviors - such as disobeying orders, having emotions, etc, they are very surprised and frightened. They think they need to send Mia back to company.
Long-term consequences:

Ordinary people are protesting against robots/synths on the streets. Lots of synths are destroyed with violence. Those synths with consciousness want to escape. In the end, they are saved. It's a bittersweet ending as synths are saved. They get to choose their own life paths. But it is still unknown how synths will be treated... (the end of Season 1).

Other:

The synths with consciousness have different personalities. Niska is dark. Mia has love. There are brave, evil, and intelligent ones as well.

Coder name: Kun Xu
Coder email: kun.xu@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University