Dystopian Literature: Artificial Intelligence Discrimination

Dr. Aji Septiaji, M.Pd. - Universitas Majalengka, Indonesia.

Talking about literature and artificial intelligence is a tradition for the modern future because the process involves sophistication, convenience, and popularity. The presence of artificial intelligence technology is a sign that human civilization is growing. However, do all activities need to be connected through artificial intelligence technology devices? What is the biggest impact if everything depends on artificial intelligence? Through this essay, readers can gain another perspective on artificial intelligence both from the problems, solutions, and consequences because all things if always dependent on one object then there will be risks that must be accepted.

Questioning artificial intelligence that can bring positive and negative influences to the development of human life will ultimately find a difficult choice whether to accept with an unfavorable destiny or let go with an equally unfavorable destiny. Conceptually, this choice is in the circle of a dystopian world, a life full of discrimination that will eventually lead to destruction. Seeger & Davison-Vecchione (2019) in dystopia, the most important system is the leadership factor because no matter what the “world” created always depends on the subject, namely humans who are categorized as superior in creating an ecosystem so that everything bound to the world will have a mutual effect between beneficial or harmful. The dystopian world means that the phenomena presented tend to be scary full of discrimination that dystopia is a world that is not ideal to live in contrast to the utopian world that the phenomena presented tend to be fun because utopia is an ideal world to live in. Septiaji (2025) describes the meaning of happiness as a representation of life desired by humans in general, namely the utopian world. Meanwhile, the meaning of sadness as a representation of life that humans do not want but with limitations still live to choose, namely the dystopian world. Both can be connected with technology, the difference is that in the dystopian world the presence of technology does not make life better but worse.

The Black Mirror television series is a representation of a dystopian world in a fictional form visualized and first aired in 2011 by Charlie Brooker. All the problems of human life are in one real grip, namely the role of artificial intelligence technology that can exploit human thinking to continue to depend on technological needs. In Black Mirror, artificial intelligence as a product needed for humans is mass-produced by a company by being given consciousness and feelings like humans in general. Therefore, the real problem is how humans can continue to coexist with artificial intelligence.

Black Mirror as a television series with the genre of cyber thriller, dystopian sci-fi, and psychological drama currently has 7 seasons with a total of 33 episodes from season 1 to 7. In this essay, the author chooses several episodes as a representation of the influence of artificial intelligence technology that can have an impact on humans even though humans were initially given access to freedom to achieve the meaning of happiness. The episodes I analyze are (1) "White Christmas" (season 2 episode 4, 2013); (2) "USS Callister" (season 4 episode 1, 2017); (3) "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" (season 5 episode 3, 2019); (4) "Be Right Back" (season 2 episode 1, 2013), and (5) "San Junipero" (season 3 episode 4, 2016).

"White Christmas" (2013) in this episode criticizes how technology can exacerbate human alienation. Social media's “block” feature is brought into the real world, allowing people to literally erase others from their sight and hearing. This phenoeman becomes an extreme form of social punishment. In addition, consciousness cloning technology (cookies) is criticized from an ethical standpoint: is it appropriate to enslave a clone of human consciousness? Here, technology is not just a tool, but a tool of oppression and judgment. Therefore, “Cookie”, which is a clone of consciousness, is forced to become a digital slave that human consciousness is reduced to a system that can be modified and utilized.

"USS Callister" (2017) in this episode Daly uses the virtual world to take revenge and power over his coworkers who belittle him. It criticizes the culture of “nice guy syndrome” and the violence that can occur in the form of digital abuse. Behind the glorious Star Trek-style visuals is a satire on toxic masculinity and the escape to cyberspace to fulfill power fantasies. The digital world becomes a place where one can rule without consequence, until the technology turns around to get back at them. Cyberspace becomes a space where technology legalizes domination, making it possible to create one's own version of the “ideal world”, such as becoming a god with the ability to create, punish and control.

"Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" (2019) in this episode criticizes how the entertainment industry uses celebrity images as products. Ashley O is forced to become a controlled brand even when she doesn't realize her brain is still being used to create music. The AI doll “Ashley Too” satirizes how consumers idolize artificial versions of real people. Behind the pop colors and teenage spirit, the episode exposes the dark side of capitalism in entertainment. Ashley's consciousness is even separated from her body, manipulated for mass production. This shows how technology not only mediates human experience but reconstructs consciousness as a marketable product.

"Be Right Back" (2013) in this episode focuses on how humans can be tempted to replace real relationships with digital illusions. As the AI version of Ash only replicates behavior based on online data, it shows that social media does not reflect humans fully. It's also a critique of the digital “self-archiving” culture that we form personas that don't always match our true selves. The technology becomes a barrier between the real grieving process and the fake emotional escape. Reality is replaced by artificial representations. This raises the question of whether digital “presence” can replace existential reality?

"San Junipero" (2016) in this episode raises issues of death and reincarnation. San Junipero is a simulated world where deceased people “live” digitally. Yorkie and Kelly question the value of life after a “digitally frozen” death: Is there still life? Is choosing to “die forever” also a form of individual human rights? The series provides a perspective on life after death and the freedom to choose existence in the next life. The role of technology presents an offer of immortality while implying the loss of the meaning of death as part of life. San Junipero is a digital paradise that erases the final boundary.

Artificial intelligence technology is able to reflect the ease of humans in carrying out various kinds of activities to refract the meaning that the task of humans living in the world is not heavy. There are only consequences for every wish and hope if it depends on the sophistication of artificial intelligence technology products. The creation of a new world that is considered ideal, offering comfort and immortality, and an escape from pain become the strongest domination for humans who need to avoid emptiness and deprivation so that they can be free from being marginalized from the social environment. Black Mirror is a reflection of the modern world that continues to create cutting-edge innovations by integrating consciousness, feelings, bodies, and machines so that humans do not lose the meaning of life that reality can be duplicated, consciousness can be marketed, life can be lived without a body. Artificial intelligence is an exploration of human nature in a world controlled by artificial technology.

References

Brooker, C. (Creator). (2013). Be Right Back [Streaming Netflix]. House of Tomorrow.

Brooker, C. (Creator). (2013). White Christmas [Streaming Netflix]. House of Tomorrow.

Brooker, C. (Creator). (2016). San Junipero [Streaming Netflix]. House of Tomorrow.

Brooker, C. (Creator). (2017). USS Callister [Streaming]. House of Tomorrow.

Brooker, C. (Creator). (2019). Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too [Streaming Netflix]. House of Tomorrow.

Seeger, S., & Davison-Vecchione, D. (2019). Dystopian literature and the sociological imagination. Thesis Eleven, 155(1), 45-63.

Septiaji, A. (2025, 13 April). Sastra Distopia: Peradaban Tergelap Manusia. Diakses pada 14 April 2025, dari https://medium.com/@ajiseptiaji/sastra-distopia-peradaban-tergelap-manusia-647814c927ea