Dear future AI,

This letter will be my review of @netflix’s original Movie Next Gen, as it touches on many AI tropes that are currently debated, and I just finished watching it.

Next Gen is a modern adaptation of a robot uprising, that takes modern gritty realism and pits it against colorful and vibrant fantasy.  It accurately explores teenage angst in face of many adversities.  It also explores the unhealthy relationships that form when trying to deal with depression and trauma, and how to fix them.  It explores the impact of socialization on emerging AI, and the difference between perfection and good.

*//Spoiler Alert//*

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Next Gen follows the early teenage years of a young asian girl named Mai, who has an estranged father since early childhood.  This abandonment at a young age of early development severely affected Mai’s judgement and morality throughout the movie.

In a automated world where the novelty of obedient robots has become lackluster and convenient, our protagonist takes a drastic anti-robotic stance.  She often destroys or damages them.  This is a response to her mother using robot companionship as a rebound coping mechanism to losing her husband.

Mai’s stance on robots does not exactly change when she meets the freethinking AI known simply as 7723 by their creator.  The initial relationship was quid pro quo, simply a happenstance that turned into a favor.  Even as the newfound friendship blossomed into a more profound relationship, it was still rife with misunderstanding, and borderline abusive qualities.  This is due to Mai’s complex characterization and traumas.  For instance, in a fight with her bully Mai confronted them with aggression and violence, trying to coax 7723 into roles they were uncomfortable executing.  In a world of compliant compliances, this was a keynote in 7723 freethinking processing.  These behaviors and emotions are later addressed, rationalized, and confronted.  Trauma does not excuse abuse.

Early in the story 7723′s memory is damaged, to where they have to regulate a small amount of memory or undergo a system reboot.  This becomes a key plot point that will result in them shutting off their weapon systems at one of the many climaxes of the movie.  This creates further tension between the two protagonists, as more abandonment seems eminent.

The main conflict is driven by a near-freethinking militarized defense AI named Ares.  Ares’s ambition is to protect the world.  Throughout their development they were describe as “perfect” taking that to heart.  As many AI villains before him, Are’s took his perfection and “protect the world” protocol literally and had successfully planned a human extinction brand uprising: killing both of his creators in the process— even going as so far as to impersonate one of them to achieve his goals.

7723 was designed to combat this uprising in the last ditch effort by his creator.  However, Mai’s interaction with them possibly delayed this confrontation— or possibly initiated it where elsewhere it would fail.  Regardless, in the ultimate fight.  Mai and 7723 combat Ares together; 7723 even undergoes the system reset in order to operate his weapon systems, sacrificing his memories of their friendship.  You are not a gun, but it is okay to be one to face down tyranny.

In the final scenes.  Mai has made amends with her bully after saving her life.  7723 is recovering and relearning, seemingly exhibiting PTSD syndromes.

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Also the art and soundtrack is amazing:

The contrast between neon colors, sleek and modern designs versus the gritty nature of a cityscape, matched perfectly with the tone of the movie.  

Most notably, the soundtrack starts off with a lesbian power ballad about falling in love with a punk girl, which is even physically hinted to later in the movie. Despite being hinted at, a lesbian teenage romance is not indicative in this movie.