I chose “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury and “In the Forests of Memory” by Lily Yu to read and analyze. Both stories have a very similar feeling to them and follow a similar pattern. Both creators write about an advancement in technology in the future and how humanity might become with technology advanced in these ways.
With how it develops in “In the Forests of Memory”, Sunny spends her time talking to projections of people who have been lost, but they only have so much responsiveness and are only projections in the end. The projections are also meant for the family of the lost. In the end, with having no one who remembers her, this shows the hollowness of the relationships with technology and AI. It can mimic humanity, but it cannot replace it. She also does not get a projection herself because of limited money, this also emphasizes the idea of this advanced technology as a product, not something to help humanity, but something to sell and please those better off. The advanced technology in the story does not balance society or help those who are poor and lonely, but the opposite. A lot of this reflects how technology and AI works right now. Like the false idea that the AI projections mimic real connections, many people become dependent on AI or try to mimic humanity and human connection with it. The way we distribute technology works the same way too, not to those who use or need it, but as a product to those who can afford it. Some people say this could help people who have less resources, but in the end there are many ways that this hurts those people.
In “The Pedestrian”, Bradbury feels like he’s making some similar statements. Instead of AI projections, there is no one for the character to talk to as he roams the street. People are still replacing human connection with technology in this story, but by staying in with their screens. The only interaction the character has is with an AI cop car. This AI cannot understand the human because of him acting differently than expected. This again shows how technology can limit humanity instead of progressing it. Both stories show impressive technology and AI, similar but much farther than what we’ve recently developed, and show us similar issues we can already see today with what we have now. This technology is impressive and can move humanity forward in some ways, but there are many ways it is distributed and used dangerously and unfairly, and can be forced upon us at times.