HACKING THE FAMILY WEB: AI AND AUTONOMY IN MORNA PEARSON’S DARKLANDS

Abstract

As the world enters a golden age of autonomous technology, artificial intelligence companies shape family decisions. Morna Pearson’s Darklands, part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s 2019 Interference trilogy, focuses on the tension between artificial intelligence (AI) and family autonomy. Set in a near-future environment, the play follows Brie and Logan, a Scottish couple whose lives are controlled by a powerful AI company. Their routines are dictated by Moira, an AI assistant that monitors their behaviour, provides guidance, and intrudes into their family lives under the guise of ensuring well-being. While this AI tool promises productivity, the Darklands raises ethical concerns about privacy, control, and the erosion of freedom. After outlining the concept of autonomy from philosophical perspectives, this essay, through thematic interpretations, examines how AI disrupts familial connections, exploring its negative impact on family sovereignty in the play. First, it analyses autonomy through philosophical perspectives, including Kant’s Categorical Imperative and Aristotle’s view of humans as civic beings/zōon politikon (ζῷον πολιτικόν). Then, it explores the relationship between man and technology. Finally, it discusses how the Darklands portrays the consequences of AI dominance, emphasising the risks of its control over family life, and questions whether true family independence could exist under AI influence.

Keywords

• AI
• Autonomy
• Family
• Theatre
• Darklands
• Morna Pearson

Aile Ağını Heklemek: Morna Pearson’ın Darklands’inde YZ ve Özerklik

Abstract

Dünya otonom teknolojinin altın çağına girerken, yapay zekâ şirketleri aile kararlarını şekillendirmektedir. İskoçya Ulusal Tiyatrosu’nun 2019 Interference üçlemesinin bir parçası olan Morna Pearson’ın Darklands’i, yapay zekâ (YZ) ile aile özerkliği arasındaki gerilime odaklanır. Yakın gelecekteki bir çevrede geçen oyun, yaşamları güçlü bir YZ şirketi tarafından kontrol edilen İskoç çift Brie ve Logan’ı izler. Onların rutinleri, davranışlarını takip eden, onlara rehberlik sağlayan ve refahı sağlama kisvesi altında onların aile yaşamlarına karışan bir yapay zekâ asistanı olan Moira tarafından belirlenir. Bu yapay zekâ aracı üretkenlik sözü verirken, Darklands gizlilik, kontrol ve özgürlüğün aşınması konusunda etik endişeler ortaya koyar. Felsefi anlamda otonomi kavramını açıkladıktan sonra, bu makale, tematik yorumlamalar yoluyla oyunda yapay zekânın ailevi bağları nasıl bozduğunu araştırır ve onun aile özerkliği üzerindeki olumsuz etkisini keşfeder. İlk olarak, Kant’ın Kategorik Zorunluluğu ve Aristoteles’in insanları toplumsal varlıklar/zōon politikon (ζῷον πολιτικό) olarak görmesi gibi felsefi görüşler aracılığıyla otonomiyi analiz eder. Daha sonra, insan ve teknoloji arasındaki ilişkiyi irdeler. Son olarak, Darklands’in YZ egemenliğinin sonuçlarını nasıl betimlediğini tartışır; onun aile yaşamı üzerindeki kontrolününün tehlikelerini vurgulayıp, YZ etkisi altında gerçek aile özerkliğinin var olup olamayacağını sorgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• YZ
• Özerklik
• Aile
• Tiyatro
• Darklands
• Morna Pearson

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