After rewatching Black Mirror‘s Christmas special, “White Christmas,” it is hard not to see how it is starting to become eerily real in today’s world.
From a critical standpoint, Netflix’s Black Mirror has always been a mixed bag. While some of its episodes have been hard-hitting projections of the near future, others have already been forgotten. Undeniably, “White Christmas” has always been one of the best and most memorable episodes of Black Mirror.
Over a decade after its release, “White Christmas” feels even more harrowing and relatable because many of its storytelling devices and themes are starting to become real.
We’re Already Living In A World Where Black Mirror’s “White Christmas” Episode Is Becoming Real
Black Mirror‘s “White Christmas” episode is primarily driven by four major technologies:
- Z-Eyes (Augmented Reality)
- Cookies (Digital Clones/AI)
- Blocking (Social Ostracization)
- Digital Imprisonment
Although we are yet to have exact replicas of these technologies, we live in a world where we are close to having versions of all four. For instance, smart glasses and IRL coaching through them is already a real thing. We do not have full-fledged ocular implants, but Meta Ray-Bans allow one to stream their POV live to an audience.
Generative AI services also allow us to create digital clones of ourselves just like the cookies in the Black Mirror episode. Our AI clones are not sentient, but we are increasingly delegating our “will” to AI systems to enhance productivity.
Since we spend so much time online, blocking someone often means completely removing them from our lives, which exactly what the Christmas Special attempts to portray. Owing to the prevalence and growth of surveillance technologies and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) from companies like Neuralink and Synchron, even e-carceration does not seem fictional anymore.
Some Of The Best Black Mirror Episodes Were Undeniably Ahead Of Their Time
Apart from the Christmas Special, other episodes from Black Mirror, like “Be Right Back,” also hit harder than ever. We have access to strangely comforting AI bots that can mimic the deceased based on their digital footprints. As shown in “Nosedive,” we also live in a world where everything from LinkedIn endorsements to Uber ratings, from Instagram followers to YouTube subscribers defines our social reputation.
The portrayal of how exploitative the true-crime genre can be on television in Black Mirror‘s “Loch Henry” already feels quite accurate. Meanwhile, we also face the threat of AI systems becoming quietly embedded in power structures that shape labor, law, and even entertainment.
Black Mirror may not have always hit the mark with its projection of the future, but it sure got a lot of things right about AI and its imminent dangers.
