Dystopian Future?

Maria Martin-Aran

Dr. Steven Wexler

English 654

30 October 2012

Dystopian Future

Thomas Hirschl begins his discussion on the topic “structural unemployment” by explaining that Marx’s social revolution (whose arrival is harkened by advancements in technology, which will supplant/displace “existing property relations”) has not yet come to pass, either because his hypothesis is flawed, or because capitalism has yet to confront the “final crisis” that will plunge society into a social/economic revolution (157-8). Yet, Hirschl, by means of Marxist theory, insists that technological advances will eventually cause a “qualitative transformation” of capitalism, the only question is how (165).

It is easy to recognize the possible precursors of this “crisis” via the “structural unemployment,” created when technologies replace a portion of the human work force. For example: in most major grocery stores today there are now “self check-out” lines with four to six automated cash registers overseen by a single human cashier; ATMs have, for the most part, supplanted the need for bank tellers, and automation of manufacturing has displaced a large portion of the manual labor force. Still, the economy has, thus far, been able to reabsorb these workers by creating new jobs, primarily in the service industry. The problem then becomes what happens when artificial intelligence (AI) advances to the point where it replaces not only service but “knowledge [or information] workers” (160)? Where will these jobs go? The simple (and scary) answer is: away, at which point society will have no other option than to move toward some form of wage-less production (169). And while it may be overly optimistic to assume humanity would revert to a new artistic Renaissance period, free from the encumbrances of monetary considerations, when examining this question via the animated movie, Walt Disney’s WALL-E; a more disconcerting possibility comes to light.

WALL-E takes place in a dystopian future on an enormous spaceship, which now houses what is left of humanity once Earth is left uninhabitable as a consequence of environmental abuse and reckless consumerism. This technologically advanced ship is run by what at first seems to be a corporation, Buy N Large, whose moniker (BNL) appears everywhere--even on the replicated sun. Ironically dubbed Axiom, this ship, like any good socialist state, provides for every conceivable human need for those aboard her. Yet the absence of competitors, as well as the brash and ubiquitous nature of BNL’s “advertising” suggests that BNL is less corporation than socialist state.

The YouTube clip below begins with robots making their way through morning traffic no doubt to the manual and service labor jobs they have appropriated from humans (hairdresser, policemen etc…). Yet it is the manner in which the movie depicts the use of AI as the teacher, which represents the dangers inherent to the displacement of humans as information workers. Evocative of what many imagine to be a socialist classroom experience, BNL’s artificial “teacher” is seen spewing propaganda clearly meant to advance BNL’s agenda by brainwashing and indoctrinating the young into their collective consciousness. 

The first human depicted in this scene is discussing plans for a virtual golf game with the person right beside him; yet, no face-to-face conversation takes place. Thus, technology has also displaced human interaction. Moreover, BNL’s appropriation of the concept of “economy” from a monetary system to a destination, and the blinking “buy, buy, buy[s]” below it, reads more like a subliminal message meant to convince the members of this society to “buy” into the social system--instead of an inducement to purchase something. Indeed, no human in this society actually seem to hold a job, not even the token captain, who is depicted most of the time merely sleeping and eating on the bridge. Yet, the humans in the film are clearly consuming everything that BNL provides. In fact, the AI on this ship is so advanced that people no longer wear shoes because technology has even made walking unnecessary. Thus, as labor has been entirely removed from the equation, this social system has “transformed,” (165) beyond the restrictions of both socialism and capitalism, into a type of symbiotic relationship where BNL exists solely to provide and humans, to their detriment, solely to consume.

 

                                               Works Cited

Hirschl, Thomas. "Structural Unemployment and the Qualitative Transformation of
           Capitalism." Davis, et al. 157-174. Davis J., T. Hirschl, and M. Stack, eds.
           Cutting Edge:  Technology, Information, Capitalism and Social 
           Revolution. London: Verso, 1997. Print.

WALL-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton. Perf. Ben Burtt. Elissa Knight. Disney Pixar,

2008.  Film.