'After Yang' explores the meaning of life through a broken android
Jake's journey to fix Yang isn't much different than what we'd go through to get a computer or smartphone repaired today. He tries to contact the store he bought it from, but it's no longer in business. Yang was also refurbished, which opens the door to surprising issues .
It turns out Yang had more than one previous owner, and he basically lived a long life. He was also an experimental model that could record small portions of memories, similar to the small bits of videos we see in Apple's Live Photos. As Jake learns more about Yang, he realizes that he was a thinking being with a fully formed personality. He's not just a helper bot following his programming, he was also endlessly curious about the world around him.
The fusion of the natural and man-made world mirrors the way an artificial being like Yang starts to become more human. It's clear that he's driven by some sort of artificial intelligence, but the film doesn't say if his designers also managed to replicate a form of consciousness. Yang is programmed with facts about China, as well as language lessons for Mika, but he speaks more like a wise friend than a robotic teacher., it seems as if Yang is fully aware of his own limitations.
In a world where we actually have robotic companions, it’s not hard to imagine that we’d form deep bonds and mourn them when they’re gone. Losing your robot could eventually be as traumatic as losing a dear pet. But that would also reflect a world where our androids can also profoundly affect our lives. They’d be more than appliances – they’d be family.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Joni Mitchell will remove her music from Spotify over 'lies' that cost 'people their lives' | EngadgetMitchell published a short statement saying 'irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives.'.
Read more »
Apple brought in a record-breaking $123.9 billion in revenue, despite supply constraints | EngadgetApple just dropped its earnings report for the first quarter of 2022, and it's broken revenue records all across the board..
Read more »
David Chalmers interview: Virtual reality is as real as real realityPhilosopher David Chalmers explains how virtual worlds shed light on questions such as what is reality and are we living in a simulation, and explores what corporate metaverses mean for humanity
Read more »
The Organelle S is a more affordable take on Critter & Guitari's distinctive music computer | EngadgetSince 2016, Critter and Guitari Organelle line has been one of the most unique ways to create music..
Read more »
Warner Music Group is building a 'musical theme park' in the metaverse | EngadgetWarner Music Group is building a 'musical theme park' in the metaverse
Read more »