In an age where we’re transcending into an AI-driven world with inventions like self-driven cars and 3-D printers inching closer to becoming the everyday reality of tomorrow — the future vision of life on the sci-fi comedy Upload seems possible and no longer farfetched. With our day-to-day lives becoming increasingly driven by technology and the human race’s addictive dependency on gizmos, it is safe to say that a complete digital takeover is right around the corner. The idea of life after death has been a topic that’s braced the interest of futurists and laymen alike. Hence, the possibility of being able to “upload” oneself into an afterlife of your choice is quite intriguing.
Upload is an American sci-fi comedy that takes place in the year 2033 and revolves around the concept of being able to upload oneself into a virtual afterlife after one’s death. We see the show through the lens of 27-year-old coder Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who died in a self-driving car accident and is “uploaded” to the digital afterlife to the very expensive Lakeview, funded by his wealthy obsessive girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards). The show was created by Greg Daniels, who is also responsible for the US adaptation of The Office. Upload gives us a mild utopian view of a significantly digital future, and we think a huge chunk of it is plausible. Let’s take a look at why!
Most of the Major Inventions Pointed Out in the Show Are Already Here
While many inventions on Upload could seem dubious at first glance, upon zooming out our perspective, we realize that a good number of them are quite feasible. Self-driving cars like Tesla are already selling rapidly in the market, even though they may not possess the fun game controller aspect as on the show. We also currently have different versions of 3-D food printers — whether they may produce scrumptious Michelin-star quality food is certainly up for debate! The recent release of the Apple Vision Pro bridges the gap between the real and digital world, introducing a cohesive ecosystem — which already appears to have a seamless prevalence on Upload in the form of over-the-counter AR and VR headsets.
The introduction of Metaverse, which properly kicked off 2-3 years ago, is also one step ahead into a more digitized existence. The sensory suits on the show exist as well, helping us immerse in AR/VR worlds like the Metaverse. With the widespread use of Artificial Intelligence tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Dall-E, to name a few, the possibilities for the future are endless. While many of these inventions are not mainstream and available to the masses, that doesn’t take away from the fact that they exist, and it’s only a matter of time till they become part of our everyday lives — much like the smartphones we are oh-so-dependent on, that once were only scarce.
Neuralink Could Be the Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Elon Musk’s Neuralink could possibly be the missing piece of the puzzle for humans to explore the idea of immortality as they do in Upload. The Neuralink is Musk’s startup that’s essentially working on developing an implantable brain chip that helps translate one’s thoughts into action. Neuralink’s key focus is “to create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.” But Musk, being the visionary that he is, believes that one day, the human race will be able to attain immortality via Neuralink. Though he hasn’t provided any timelines or evidence for the same, it is the closest possibility we have of a digital afterlife like Lakeview in the future.
The Internet Is Already Filled With the Memories of Our Loved Ones
Although it may not be possible to “upload” your loved one physically in the current scenario, their soul still lives on as memories on the internet, making them digitally immortal. It is comforting for those grieving to revisit the social media profiles of the deceased as it serves as a virtual shrine to the truest version of themselves. Apart from old messages, voice recordings, social media posts, and videos, things have been taken one step further with the rise of “grief tech” — an AI-powered technology that develops chatbot avatars of deceased relatives to preserve their memories and help cope with grief.
Back in 2016, James Vlahos spent a year programming a chatbot replica of his father called ‘Dadbot’ after discovering that his father has terminal lung cancer. He collected snippets from his dad’s life, including childhood memories, favorite sayings, songs, jokes, and the likes, to form an interactive AI afterlife that helped him cope with the loss. ‘Dadbot’ inspired Vlahos to launch the US-based company HereAfter AI, which allows people to upload their memories and turn them into an interactive “life story avatar.” This is just one of many examples of grief tech.
A UK-based startup called StoryFile helped an 87-year-old woman attend her own funeral with recorded footage and audio before her death. Subsequently, they made it interactive through the power of conversational AI and a holographic avatar. We also have the metaverse’s “live forever” mode powered by Somium Space, which circles the concept of creating a digital version of yourself that will exist indefinitely on the metaverse. While we believe that using AI to cope with loss can benefit those mourning, finding a balance between clinging to the past and the will to move on is definitely food for thought.
The World Is Already Moving From Zero Digital Presence to Maximum Digital Presence for Two Decades
From cashless transactions to having your whole world encompassed in your smartphone, we as a society have already been moving towards a future with a more significant digital presence than was fathomable two decades ago. At the beginning of the 21st century, possession of a computer was considered a big deal, but now it has become a necessity amongst the masses. The idea of the digital afterlife has become increasingly admired in our cultural landscape, with the growing popularity of shows like Black Mirror and Devs exploring the subject creatively.
We especially appreciate Upload’s portrayal of the profoundly capitalist society we live in and the fact that even in a seemingly advanced future, that’s one aspect we will never let go of. This highlights the class disparity between individuals from different economic backgrounds who want to avail themselves of the latest technology, as well as the timeline of procurement that exists between the privileged and the economically weak sections of society even today. Though the idea of the future in Upload may not become a reality by 2033, rest assured we can expect it to materialize in the seemingly distant future. If you like thought-provoking shows about time, check out The Orville.
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