Dystopia and Binary Bondage in Detroit: Become Human
Arnab Chatterjee
Guest Faculty, Department of English, Murshidabad University
Abstract: In the twenty-first century, one of the most ubiquitous topics is the rise of artificial intelligence and the involvement of digital machinery in everyday life. It is proven that incorporating AI into human life has benefited human activities; yet, it is evident that this engagement has allowed humans to be replaced by technologies. This involuntarily gives rise to Anthropocene anxiety that reinforces anthropocentric ideals over technocratic progress. The game Detroit: Become Human (2018) further portrays this feeling of anthropocentric anxiety. Developed by Quantic Dream, Detroit: Become Human is a narrative-driven video game that allows the player to experience a bleak dystopian future where androids, or humanoids, equipped with an extended form of artificial intelligence, have advanced to the point of being indistinguishable from humans but are considered a commodity. This paper is going to analyse Detroit: Become Human to highlight the intricacies within the game that depicts a world riddled with institutional injustice, societal deterioration, and technical omnipotence, resulting in a dystopia. The narrative exposes how the humanoids develop their own intelligence and sense of being, allowing them to retaliate against their subjugation and revolt for their fundamental rights and autonomy. By integrating theoretical frameworks of posthumanism, this paper will attempt to explore the pervasive hegemonic influence within the city as well as the nature of influence that has created a culture of fear, submission, and “othering” for the humanoids, who are sentient but inferior. This paper will look deeply into the technological rebellion depicted within the narrative to examine how the humanoids struggle to claim their individual identity while challenging the established order of the humans. In this way, the paper will shed light on the quest for emancipation and how it blurs the demarcation between man and machine, pointing towards a future where humanity confronts its obsolescence.
Keywords: Posthumanism, Dystopia, Othering, Identity, Cyborg
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