What has already come true, or could soon come true, in the series Black Mirror?

Black Mirror has long since ceased to be just a TV show. It has become a cultural phenomenon, a modern analogue of The Twilight Zone, and its very name has become a common term to describe the disturbing future that is coming due to technological progress. The phrase "it's like 'Black Mirror'" evokes associations with dystopias, where innovation has turned against humanity, and our desire for comfort and connection has led to new forms of isolation and control.

The main talent of the creator of the series, Charlie Brooker, lies not so much in futuristic predictions, but in his uncanny ability to catch the subtle trends of the present and bring them to a logical, often terrifying, conclusion. Let's see which of the series' eerie predictions have already become part of our reality, and which are dangerously close to becoming so.

What is already with us

These technologies and social phenomena are no longer fantasy. They exist in one form or another, impacting our lives, relationships, and society every day.

Social rating and the culture of "likes"

Nosedive (Season 3, Episode 1)

In this world, every social interaction is rated on a five-point scale, and the average score determines your status, access to services, and even your social circle.

Reality: The most direct analogy is China’s social credit system, which rates citizens based on their behavior in the real and digital worlds. But even outside of China, we already live in a Nosedive culture. Our self-esteem and even career opportunities increasingly depend on likes and followers on Instagram or LinkedIn. We rate Uklon drivers and Glovo couriers, and they rate us, and this rating directly affects earnings and the ability to receive services. The “cancel culture” demonstrates how quickly a public reputation can be destroyed by one careless comment, instantly lowering a person’s “social rating” in the eyes of society.

Digital "ghosts" and AI chatbots

Be Right Back (Season 2, Episode 1)

After her husband's sudden death, a young woman orders a service that creates a digital copy of him based on all of his online activity, allowing her to communicate with him first in chat and then with an artificial person.

Reality: This technology is already here. In 2016, developer Eugenia Kuyda created a chatbot based on correspondence with her deceased friend to preserve his memory. Today, there are startups like HereAfter AI (https://www.hereafter.ai/) that propose to create "digital twins" of people with whom their relatives can communicate after their death. And the development of deepfake technologies that allow for the synthesis of voice and video makes the idea of "digital resurrection" eerily real.

Public opinion manipulation and virtual politicians

The Waldo Moment (Season 2, Episode 3)

A vulgar animated bear named Waldo unexpectedly becomes a popular political candidate, building his campaign on insults, populism, and mockery of the "system."

Reality: We live in an era where memes and viral TikTok videos have more influence than political debate. Populist figures around the world are gaining power by appealing not to rational arguments, but to emotions and entertainment. The example of Volodymyr Zelensky, who went from TV president to real-life president, is proof of the blurring of the line between showbiz and politics. And Donald Trump was significantly helped to become president for the first time by memes with Pepe the Frog. The Cambridge Analytica scandal demonstrated how personal data from social networks can be used for micro-targeted political advertising and manipulation.

"Extended" memory and total documentation

The Entire History of You (Season 1, Episode 3)

People have implants that record everything they see and hear. These memories can be reviewed at any time, turning relationships into endless rehashing of past arguments.

Reality: Although we don't have implants, we already live with this technology. Our smartphones are external memories that capture every moment. Cloud storage, Facebook and Instagram feeds store our past. Features like "Memories" on Facebook or Google Photos constantly remind us of past events. Any old message or photo can be found in seconds and used as evidence in a dispute, making conflicts endless, because nothing is ever forgotten.

Gamification of work and the illusion of choice

Fifteen Million Merits (Season 1, Episode 2)

People live in screen rooms and earn "rewards" by pedaling on exercise bikes. The only way to escape is to participate in a talent show, but even this dream turns out to be part of a cruel system of consumption and entertainment.

Reality: The concept of "gamification" of work is actively used in modern corporations. For example, Amazon uses game systems in its warehouses to increase employee productivity. The culture of influencers and shows, where you need to earn points for money and other prizes, creates the illusion of easy success, although in reality it is exhausting work that requires constant emotional involvement and selling your own authenticity. Even in the current Russian-Ukrainian war, there is its own gamification system, which allows you to receive points for destroying targets.

What is on the doorstep

These concepts have not yet become widespread, but the technologies for their implementation are already being actively developed, and their appearance is only a matter of time.

Full consciousness upload and digital eternity

San Junipero (Season 3, Episode 4), Black Museum (Season 4, Episode 6)

The series repeatedly explores the idea of transferring human consciousness into a digital space: whether into a virtual paradise for the dead or into the consciousness of another person.

Reality: Projects like Elon Musk's Neuralink have already successfully implanted the first chips into the human brain, a first step toward creating full-fledged neural interfaces. While full consciousness uploads are still decades away, theoretical concepts of "digital immortality" and transhumanism are a popular topic of discussion and investment in Silicon Valley.

Autonomous weapons and killer robots

Metalhead (Season 4, Episode 5), Hated in the Nation (Season 3, Episode 6)

From relentless robot dogs hunting humans to micro-drone bees carrying out mass murder missions, the series shows the terrifying potential of autonomous weapons.

Reality: Boston Dynamics’ robot dogs are no longer science fiction and are being tested for military and industrial purposes. The development of combat drones capable of making decisions about hitting targets on their own, without human intervention, is such a real threat that the UN is actively discussing the need to regulate such systems.

"Live" streaming and complete loss of privacy

Joan Is Awful (Season 6, Episode 1)

An ordinary woman discovers that her life is being broadcast in real time on a streaming service in the form of a series, to which she unknowingly consented by accepting the terms of use.

Reality: While it’s not quite there yet, the ingredients are there. The power of generative AI, like OpenAI’s Sora, can create realistic video with text descriptions in minutes. And the high-profile writers’ and actors’ strike in Hollywood in 2023 was largely due to the use of AI to scan actors and create digital copies of them without their consent, and to create scripts without the participation of live people.

The very name "Black Mirror" is a metaphor. It is not a window into the future. It is a dark, turned off screen of our smartphone, tablet or monitor, in which, before it turns on, we see our own reflection. And, perhaps, the scariest thing is not what the series shows us, but what we recognize in its characters ourselves, our own actions and our modern world. The series is not a prophecy, but a warning, and it depends on us which of its darkest scenarios will remain fiction.