Transcendence

I tend to be leery of sci-fi depictions of transhumanist endeavors. The market is heavily saturated with dystopian scenarios. It can be difficult to find Transhumanist films that take a balanced approach to Transhumanist goals. However, with that being said, I enjoyed the movie Transcendence. It was a balanced and interesting depiction of Transhumanist aspirations.

The first time I saw Transcendence it was difficult to guess if the film was going towards a horrifying dystopian future or a quasi-utopian future. Throughout the film, it wasn't entirely obvious if downloading Will Caster worked or not. Was he a savior or a tyrant? I think the correct answer is both. The film did a great job of highlighting both the risks and benefits of emerging technologies through Will's character. For example, Will was able to heal people, give them sight, and make them strong. Yet, at the same time, these enhancements also came with loss of autonomy, free will, and independence. These are the exact issues that Transhumanists debate. Where is the line between helping the oppressed and becoming the tyranny?

Another interesting aspect of the film was the motives of the opposing anti-technologists. What I liked about their group was that they too, were making some very morally questionable decisions such as shooting Will Caster, kidnapping Max Waters, and letting Martin die. It was unclear who the villain was. I appreciated the moral complexity of the two competing groups, because it genuinely reflects how Transhumanists perceive and engage in these debates. I especially liked that the group of anti-technologists were constantly using technology to combat technology. In the film, the anti-transhumanists were once transhumanists.