Technology and Humanity Merge in 'The Electric State'
Rewritten Article:
Title: Digging Deeper into "The Electric State": AI, Technology, and Our Fickle Relationship
First impressions might label "The Electric State" just another exciting sci-fi adventure filled with a retro-futuristic dystopia and heroic duos traversing an world overrun with technology. And, to be fair, that description somewhat rings true. But beneath the glossy surface lies a film that confronts some disquieting questions about the world we inhabit today. What happens when our creations surpass being simple tools and acquire sentience? Are we accountable for the morals and decisions made by AI? And, perhaps most unsettling of all, have we come to rely on technology so heavily that we risk losing our ability to see the dangers lurking ahead?
I jumped at the chance to chat with Anthony and Joe Russo, the masterminds behind "The Electric State," set for release on Netflix starting March 14. Their movie invites audiences to venture into a fantastical alternative 1990s, where sentient robots, once welcomed as friendly comrades, have been ostracized following a failed rebellion.
At the heart of this journey is Michelle (played by Millie Bobby Brown), a resilient teenage orphan determined to find her younger brother. Her sidekick? Cosmo, a robot with a massive cartoon head and the sensitive eyes of something—or someone—that might be more than just a machine.
But according to Anthony Russo, the narrative isn't solely about AI sentience. It's about our complicated, ever-evolving connection with technology, and how that relationship has unfolded since the technological boom of the late 20th century. "We were aiming at tackling these real-world issues," Russo explained, "but the fantastical setting proved beneficial as it allowed us to examine these topics in fresh, thought-provoking ways."
A Retro-Futuristic Mirror of the Present
The world unfolding in "The Electric State" might seem familiar yet peculiar—a deliberate choice by the Russo Brothers to make the film's cautionary tale more relatable. The setting is a nostalgic past that never was, blending the aesthetics of '80s and '90s Americana with experimental technology. It's a world anchored in tactile, decade-specific robot designs, needle-drop soundtracks, and comparisons to the current era, all while floating at arm's length, inviting reflection on our own path.
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The neurocasters in the movie serve as thinly disguised stand-ins for today's smartphones. This assemblage of devices encourages audiences to contemplate the extent of our lives already spent online. They provide users with an avenue to retreat into tailored realities, transforming human interaction into something polished, staged, and, eventually, artificial.
The Moral Conundrum of Artificial Personhood
Cosmo is no ordinary sidekick with Disney-level charm. He raises a genuine ethical question that's slowly moving toward reality: at what point does a machine become something more? Throughout the film, robots display emotions, form relationships, and make moral decisions. But when does a machine become deserving of the same rights, responsibilities, and respect we grant humans?
Anthony Russo acknowledged the ethical murkiness during our conversation. He pointed out that the film mirrors a broader digital evolution we've observed since the '90s. AI systems are becoming increasingly autonomous, becoming capable of learning, adapting, and even appearing to "feel."
"The Electric State" doesn't offer concrete answers, but it presents critical questions: is a being capable of thought, choice, and suffering entitled to our ethical obligations?
The Perilous Nature of Dependency
Our co-dependent relationship with technology is on full display in "The Electric State." Even after a robot uprising, people cling to machines—be it through neurocasters or loyal robot companions—to navigate their environment. It's a relationship that feels eerily familiar, as convenience often trumps caution in our daily lives. We rely on digital assistants like Alexa to manage our schedules, let algorithms determine what we see, buy, and believe, resulting in a digital labyrinth more distinctive than any sci-fi construct.
The Antagonist: Embracing our Dependence's Dark Side
The story's antagonist, Ethan Skate (portrayed by Stanley Tucci), embodies the allure of dependence and echoes what we experience daily with DOGE and recent news headlines. A brilliant tech genius who initially sought to create for the greater good, he gradually becomes ensnared by the very fantasy world he crafted. As Russo explained, "He embraces a fantasy of human connection, as opposed to understanding the complexities of genuine relationships in the real world."
Our Historical Legacy of Isolation
On the surface, the Exclusion Zone in "The Electric State" might appear to be just another sci-fi invention—an imaginative no man's land built to house exiled robots after their failed rebellion. But delve deeper, and it's hard not to notice the chilling similarities to spaces throughout history where societies have chosen to isolate those they fear or despise.
The Exclusion Zone bore close resemblance to Native American reservations in the United States and Japanese American internment camps during World War II. Both situations involved displacing entire populations not due to individual wrongdoing but collective fear and prejudice.
Both examples illustrate a persistent moral failure: choosing to prioritize fear over empathy, control over coexistence. As Anthony Russo put it, "Humanity can both discover compassion within technology and dehumanize in humanity."
Technology: The Unsung Hero
Ironically, the film's warnings about technology's grip on our lives are propelled by some of the most advanced technology available today. The Russo Brothers brought cutting-edge VFX, motion capture, and practical effects to life to create the film's vivid world.
Perhaps the most fascinating detail is the creative decision to assign each robot a specific decade, resulting in a historical continuity. As Anthony Russo explained, "We assigned a decade to every robot in the movie and attempted to be as faithful as possible to that era in terms of design." This gives the machines an old, familiar look, like relics from our time, not just a distant future.
In fact, the filmmakers went a step further, joining forces with UCLA's robotics lab to construct a real-life Cosmo robot. Although the film used CGI for Cosmo's on-screen presence, the physical robot made appearances at screenings and events, blending fiction and reality in a thrilling and unsettling manner.
A Cautionary Tale—and a Masterclass in Storytelling
At its core, "The Electric State" is a story about connection—the bond between siblings, friends, and even between humans and machines. But it also serves as a warning. Technology can bring us closer, but it can also shove us further apart. It can forge new paths or build barriers.
"The Electric State" implies that AI may one day warrant personhood, but it's up to us to make that call. Do we use technology to connect or to control? In a world increasingly filled with self-aware machines, the questions posed by "The Electric State" lose their fantastical edge and become tomorrow's headlines. And, if nothing else, this film is a reminder that even in a world run by machines, it's our humanity that must remain at the forefront.
- The Russo Brothers, directors of 'The Electric State', navigate a retro-futuristic dystopia on Netflix, inviting audiences to explore the intellectual implications of AI sentience beyond mere tool usage, and the evolving, complicated connection between humanity and technology.
- In 'The Electric State', the neurocasters mimic modern-day smartphones, prompting audience reflection on the extent of our lives spent online, as these devices offer an escape into tailored realities, blurring the lines between human interaction and artificial connection.
- The Russos aim to address real-world issues in 'The Electric State', using a fantastical setting to examine tech dependence in fresh, thought-provoking ways, especially the moral conundrum of artificial personhood, as sentient robots in the film exhibit emotions, form relationships, and make moral decisions, raising the question of when a machine becomes deserving of the same rights, responsibilities, and respect as humans.