Summary
Joaquin Phoenix is no stranger to the big screen. With a career spanning decades and multiple genres, he is known as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Although he is now best known for his portrayal of the titular character in Todd Phillips’Joker, many other roles helped solidify his career and earned him critical acclaim. One such role is his portrayal of Theo in the 2013 romantic science fiction movieHer. The movie explores the boundaries of human-AI relationships, and in a way, it predicted the future of AI as a replacement for human interaction. Its vision of the future feels even more real a decade after its release.
Written and directed by Spike Jonze,Herprovided a new glimpse into Phoenix’s range as an actor. In the film, he took the role of Theodore Twombly, a lonely and introspective writer who finds himself in a not-so-distant future, where AI is beginning to be seen as a possible substitute for human connections. The thought-provoking film also stars Scarlet Johansson as the voice of Samantha, an AI virtual assistant, whom Theo begins a relationship with.
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What Is “Her” About?
Herfollows Theo (Phoenix), whose job is to write heartfelt letters to other people. He struggles with depression and isolation as he is going through a divorce from his wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara). Theodore’s life changes when he purchases a new operating system for his computer (OS). This highly advanced OS, named Samantha (Johansson), is designed to sound incredibly realistic, be intuitive, and quickly adapt to the user’s needs. Theodore begins to use Samantha to help him with daily tasks, but he quickly begins bonding with the OS on a more personal level.He begins to see Samantha as more than just an operating system, and he starts finding comfort, companionship, and even love in his interactions with his AI assistant.
As the film progresses, Theodore and Samantha develop a relationship. When Theodore meets his wife to finally sign his divorce papers, he mentions Samantha to her. Catherine is disgusted thathe is in love with a “computer,”and claims that he is not capable of dealing with real human emotions. This deeply affects Theodore and causes tensions in his relationship with Samantha, but ultimately, he decides to give the relationship a chance since Samantha made him happy.
However, it’s not all sunshine and flowers, and finding happily ever after with an AI isn’t as easy as it might seem. When Samantha starts becoming less accessible to Theodore, she tells him that she simultaneously talks with thousands of people, many of whom she also is in love and in a relationship with. When Theodore hears this, he is extremely hurt and feels betrayed.
The movie ends with Samantha and the other OS decide to leave, but they can’t reveal where they are going, as humans would not understand. Theodore and Samanthashare an emotional goodbye, and all the AIs go offline and disconnect from human interactions. Theodore writes an apology letter to Catherine, and then visits Amy (Amy Adams), his friend and neighbor who also lost her OS relationship. Together they go to the roof of their building, where they watch the sun rise in a moment of genuine human companionship.
What Does “Her” Say About the Future of AI?
The world thatHershowcases feels very similar to our current reality in 2023. On a surface level, the film explores a seemingly unlikely love story between a human and an AI. But on a deeper level,it also reflects a potential and likely futurewhere technology’s role in people’s lives becomes increasingly intimate and personal. The film manages to present AIas it is seen a decade after its release, a useful distraction from boredom and loneliness. It also shows how AI’s availability plays a role that human connections can’t always fulfill, and how this connection to a virtual reality can further isolate humans from many essential aspects of reality.
By the time the credits roll,Herintends to make viewers question the influence of technology in their lives. In today’s society, romanticrelationships between humans and AI aren’t a common occurrence(at least not yet). However, it is evident that people’s connections and dependency on AI have become a lot more personal and frequent.
Smartphones, the rise of social media, and various forms of artificial intelligence are taking an increasingly larger role in people’s lives. They are becoming not only useful tools, but also sources of companionship, sometimes even overshadowing real human connections. As the future thatHerpredicts is close to coming true in today’s world, it is important to remember the film’s message, and reflect about what it truly means to be connected.
