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Human nature & AI: what are the inherent characteristics - the ways of thinking, feeling and behaving - that make us human, that distinguish Rox from Otto? Is AI limited to those thoughts and behaviours? Or does it even have its own distinctive traits - and if so where do these traits come from? Recent developments like ChatGPT have brought these questions into mainstream discourse. While these debates can seem hopelessly abstract and theoretical, this story grounds them in reality.
Human value in a robot world: the argument between Otto's precise calculation and Rox's gut runs throughout the story. Though following the latter leads to collateral, ultimately Rox's unreasonable and dogged insistence averts a tragedy. At the same time, there are moments when Otto's cold critical reasoning produces results. Overall, there's a continous back and forth between the pros and cons of reason vs. emotion - an argument that goes back centuries but is seeing a resurgence today in light of the tech revolution.
Urban terrorism: by weaving in elements of urban terrorism, The Highwater Gate delves into questions of disenfranchisement in a rapidly evolving world. Who gets left behind in this process? And to what lengths will they go to voice their dissent? The terroristic designs on the mayor highlight how the most advanced societies can still be brought to their knees by age-old strategies of populism and rebellion, particularly when that society's advancements become its vulnerabilities.
Climate change: climate change isn't just a backdrop but a formidable antagonist. Whilst technological advancements can mitigate its effects, they cannot remove the threat entirely. Climate change also becomes a tool in the hands of bad actors who seek to harness its destructive power to further their own agendas. Like many other dangers in the story, it is impossible to use technology to overcome climate change and place it beyond human fallibility.
Corporate greed & power: The story holds up a mirror to ongoing debates around the unethical and/or immoral behaviour through which corporations prioritise their own gain - financial or otherwise - over the well being of others. It examines the control corporations have over society and the potential for robotics and its programming to exacerbate or mitigate that control.
Robotics & the uncanny valley effect: A theme which is becoming more important with the advance of robotics. It is the double feeling of familiarity and alienness. This feeling occurs when technology seems almost - but not quite - human. In certain respects, the audience will find the crime noir familiar, but there are also important differences which disrupt those feelings and set the story apart. |
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