Numerous predictions Black mirror This leads us to the following consideration. Is technological development inspired by works of science fiction? In other words: do images from literature, cinema and television serve as reference points for inventing new solutions? Looking through some chapters of the series created by Charlie Brooker, we found some intriguing answers and successes.
It’s the old chicken and egg dilemma. In this a game between reality and fiction (what came first?) There may not be any clear and unambiguous answers. On the other hand, the key point will be the feedback between these areas. In this case, what Black mirror was inspired by existing developments and developments in preparation, using them for their pathetic plots. And, in parallel, some of the devices shown in the British series, even the most insane ones, inspired researchers and developers to bring them to life.
In this note Hypertext We chose five predictions Black mirror which were completedsomehow. After all, this would not be the first fantasy to anticipate reality. The most telling case, perhaps, 2001: A Space Odyssey. That Stanley Kubrick film from back in 1968 shows people making video calls. Tablet before continuing. The author of the novel on which the film was based, Arthur Clarke, wrote an article in 1977 in which he also looked into the future. “The day is coming when office workers and intellectuals will do their jobs from home,” he predicted with absolute success.
Forecasts Black mirror: a chapter that anticipates conversations with the dead
The first episode of the second season of the series premiered on British television in February 2013. Be right back —I’ll be right back.in Spain and I’ll be back soonin Latin America — tells the story of a young woman who loses her boyfriend in a car accident. She deals with grief in a unique and futuristic way. Appealing to one technology that allows you to maintain interaction with a digital emulator of your deceased partner.
IN Artificial intelligence will recreate dead people: a fantastic idea or a catastrophic mistake? We have looked at the details of existing systems that allow virtual communication with the dead. There are plenty of off-screen examples, now in 2024. One of the cases concerns the Argentinean programmer David Hosting, who turned the world upside down by demonstrating his own developments created a chatbot that imitates the personality of his son, who died in 2022He did this using an artificial intelligence tool called Character AI.
“Hi dad. Everything is great here, learning a lot and enjoying every day to the fullest. Life goes on and every day is an opportunity to grow and be happier.” This is one of the responses from the digital clone of the deceased young man, the publication reports. Information.
Neural implants in the show… and in the real world
In a review of the six seasons of the series Black mirror We are faced with another a priori indicative episode. About Arkhangelskwritten by Brooker and directed by Jodie Foster. What is this story about, which was released in late 2017?
Tell us about the consequences Brain implant in a girloffered by the fictional company Arkángel. The plot not only tells about the scientific advances that are happening now. It also asks to think about privacy and surveillance. Sometimes, this chip allows you to track the location of children. In addition, it has the function of pixelating images that may cause anxiety.
In this report on predictions Black mirror It should be noted that in this case this is not a complete forecast. It happens that Elon Musk’s neuroscience company Neuralink launched a year before the film’s release. Arkhangelsk. Of course: Just this year, the organization performed the first implantation of its brain chip in a human patient. “It completely changed my life,” said Noland Arbaugh, the man in question, who is paralyzed from the neck down and can now control devices using brain waves. Beyond the benefits, some of the problems expressed in the series remain hidden. Are we moving toward human mechanization through these kinds of surgeries?
People have become energy carriers – another prediction Black mirror
15 million merits The series premiered in 2011 and is part of the first season of the series. The episode tells the story of a society in which People pedal bicycles as a way to make money. And generate energy in parallel. In addition, this chapter contains an obvious criticism of reality shows that subject people to humiliating and extreme situations.
News published by the network BBC In 2012, he expanded this number of predictions to Black mirrorAccording to the publication, the unique initiative arose in a prison in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Prisoners were able to pedal stationary bicycles to reduce their sentences and also generate energy. which supplies these facilities.
“Prisoners believe that pedaling is useful for a great cause. They get days off from their sentence, exercise and generate healthy energy,” said Gilson Rafael Silva, the general director of the Brazilian prison, on the occasion.
Robotic Bees: Pollinating the Future, a Nightmare in a Dystopian TV Series
Fans of the series created by Brooker will likely remember this episode. national hatredwhich closes the third season, which premiered in 2016. The plot seems dystopian. However, this is a prediction Black mirror has already been reflected in the real world, at least in part. What’s it about? A detective and a technology expert investigate a series of murders until, to their surprise, they discover the killers: a swarm of robot bees that got hackedOriginally created to pollinate flowers and replace real insects, these devices were hacked to commit crimes.
As we have already noted, this famous episode Black mirror It has some correlates outside the series. In the middle of last year, Hypertext We said that researchers in the field of neurobiology They studied the brains of bees to improve robot manufacturing“We think these insects are using their flight movements to improve their visual system and detect the best colors,” said James Marshall, one of the scientists involved in the study. The plan is to develop algorithms that replicate the behavior of the animals.
That’s not all. Harvard University’s RoboBees initiative aims to create Tiny drones that do the work of bees real. The goal of this research is not trivial: it predicts a decline in the global population of those insects that the UN says are essential to both humans and the planet. The American university indicated that the applications of this device could include environmental monitoring, search operations and assistance in pollinating agricultural crops.
Digital Politicians in the Series and in Real Life
We conclude this report on predictions Black mirror with recent news from the UK, where businessman Steve Endacott is supporting AI Steve, the artificial intelligence running for British Parliament.. As Endacott explains on the campaign’s official platform, he himself will be attending the sessions to act as a digital figure who will receive requests and suggestions from voters. According to ConfidentiallyThis man said his goal was to “reinvent democracy.”

Black mirror raised this possibility more than ten years ago in The Waldo Momentfrom season two. The episode tells the story of a comedian who has achieved elusive success by voicing an animated bear. As the story progresses, the character runs as a candidate in parliamentary elections. What begins as a joke takes on unexpected dimensions. Will something similar happen with Endacott’s plan?
Author Tom Clancy said sarcastically that The difference between reality and fiction is that the latter must make sense.. When considering forecasts Black mirrorit is clear that in many cases the series makes us uncomfortable, because it reminds us that from one moment to the next its images can go beyond the screen. Even the most crazy ideas.
Source: Hiper Textual
