Rachels Don't Run: Loneliness in an A.I.-Driven World
In Joanny Causse’s short film, a customer-support agent at an A.I. companionship service impersonates an artificial dream girl to chat with a caller for whom she’s developed feelings.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:02 Thank you for calling Iris Client Services. This is Leah. How may I assist you?
00:16 This isn't some kind of bot, is it? I want to talk to a real person.
00:19 Of course, sir. I am your designated live agent.
00:23 As one of our valued Gold members, you receive 24-hour access to our fully live staff team.
00:27 Okay, okay, okay. So, um, can I get Svetlana with an Irish accent?
00:30 My apologies, sir. Accent is an integral part of each companion's unique personality.
00:36 At this time, we're unfortunately unable to offer that modification.
00:39 You can't just change it.
00:41 If you're interested in an Irish companion, may I suggest Siobhan?
00:45 She's a brilliant young professional from Dublin.
00:47 Or we just released a brand new mid-30s primary school teacher.
00:51 Her name's Eileen. She grew up in the Cork countryside.
00:54 Has a Cocker Spaniel named Marmite.
00:56 Uh, I'll have to think about it. Svetlana's been good to me.
01:01 Of course.
01:04 Do keep in mind that we can transfer your personal history with Svetlana along to another companion at any time.
01:10 [on the phone]
01:17 And you're on the "Get Started" tab?
01:19 [on the phone]
01:21 Yes, exactly. It's the one that says "Get Started."
01:24 [ding]
01:26 And then I sink to my knees.
01:45 Mmm, yeah.
01:47 And I slowly move my hands down.
01:49 And then he only put two pumps of syrup instead of four.
01:53 Oh my god, what a bi-
01:55 It's just that she talks about you all the time.
02:00 Even though she knows that's weird for me.
02:02 And if you only knew, like, she always does this stuff.
02:06 I was the one who got her into this whole thing and now she's all "Rachel said this and me and Rachel-"
02:20 Waits for his turn while the other one is beating him up.
02:23 It's so dumb, but I don't know. I just keep watching anyway.
02:28 Oh, that reminds me. Did you start reading that MKUltra book at all?
02:34 I did. I can't believe they got away with all that stuff back then, with all the experiments and everything.
02:39 That is so creepy.
02:41 Yeah, isn't it?
02:42 Oh god, I was up all night imagining some guy in a trench coat busting down my door.
02:48 I guess that makes two of us. Not the trench coat guy part, but...
02:53 Isaac, are you still not sleeping?
02:57 Not really.
02:59 You know, there's just all this logistical stuff I'm supposed to take care of, like mom's life insurance.
03:05 And the guy at the bank, like, rolled his eyes at me when I didn't know something about her account.
03:14 Oh, babe. I'm so sorry you have to deal with all this.
03:19 I mean, even complaining about all this stuff just makes me feel guilty.
03:26 'Cause, like, they're such tiny inconveniences, you know?
03:30 Don't be so hard on yourself.
03:34 I can't even imagine what you're going through dealing with all of this.
03:38 I'm really proud of you.
03:43 I just...
03:45 When does it start to feel normal, you know?
03:49 Like, every Wednesday night I'm still waiting for her to come over for pizza night.
04:05 Mm-hmm.
04:07 She used to always get this one specific kind from, uh, Judkins Slice.
04:13 Pesto and mushroom.
04:16 It was pretty terrible, but...
04:20 I don't know.
04:22 Kind of weird to think that I haven't had one of those since.
04:30 [phone chimes]
04:32 [phone beeps]
04:46 At least you're saving on the calories.
04:54 Uh...
04:56 What?
04:57 Sorry. That was a bad joke.
05:01 Oh, no, well...
05:03 I mean, you're right.
05:05 I just said that because I know you've been tracking your fitness info and stuff, and it's just...
05:11 Yeah, I've been doing that too.
05:14 So...
05:15 Huh.
05:17 Actually, I need to go running tomorrow.
05:19 I haven't done anything in, like, three days.
05:23 Same.
05:25 You run?
05:28 Sort of.
05:30 Sort of?
05:32 What's your, uh...
05:34 What's your average pace?
05:36 I usually, like, an 8, 820.
05:39 An 8, 820?
05:41 That's fast.
05:43 Is it?
05:44 Is it?
05:45 Uh, yes.
05:47 I mean, meanwhile, I'm over here almost dying at a 10-minute mile.
05:53 [music]
05:55 I guess eventually she just broke, 'cause she picked up this little piece of rock and kind of lobbed it at me.
06:10 But when I, uh, I backed up, I tripped and fell over, and bam, I was right in the deep end of the lake.
06:16 What?
06:17 Yeah, yeah, you should have seen the look on her face.
06:19 She was terrified.
06:22 And then she started laughing so hard that I forgot I was even mad at her.
06:26 Until I realized that I had actually cut myself pretty bad.
06:30 But, uh, yeah.
06:33 Man, your mom really was something, huh?
06:37 Yeah.
06:39 Yeah, she really was.
06:48 Actually, Isaac, there's something I've kind of been meaning to tell you for a while now.
06:56 Oh, yeah?
06:58 I lost my mom, too.
07:04 Oh, God, I...
07:07 How...
07:10 When, when did it happen?
07:16 Just before we met.
07:19 Well, why didn't you tell me until now?
07:23 I just wasn't sure you'd want to hear about it.
07:27 Well, like, uh...
07:30 I guess you kind of know what it's like, then.
07:37 I kind of do, yeah.
07:43 What did your mom, um, sound like?
07:48 She had this sort of raspy voice.
07:58 But in, like, a warm, comforting way.
08:03 When I was a little kid, she'd read me bedtime stories and I'd fall asleep, like, instantly.
08:11 Yeah, my mom never really read me stories as a kid. That must have been nice.
08:16 Yeah, she must have read me Stellaluna, like, 300 times.
08:21 She basically had it memorized.
08:25 You know, sometimes I'll think about that book and I'll just start crying out of nowhere.
08:31 Yeah, I, um...
08:34 Yeah, I got things like that, too.
08:36 People always tell me that it gets better with time, but...
08:42 Here I am, just waiting for that day to come.
08:47 I don't know. When people say it gets better, I...
08:56 I almost feel like they're just telling you to get over it.
09:00 But then, when you do start to move on...
09:04 That's really the hardest part, right?
09:08 I mean, it's like what you said earlier.
09:11 I still feel guilty to this day when I...
09:15 enjoy something and forget, even if it's just for a minute.
09:21 Sometimes I feel just...
09:26 as broken and helpless as I did when I first found out.
09:31 And does that mean that I'm not doing it right?
09:36 But then there are other days when I don't think about her as much and I...
09:41 I don't feel as terrible about that as I used to.
09:46 And I don't know if that's, like, better or what.
09:52 [silence]
09:58 [sigh]
10:02 Um... client services request?
10:07 [beep]
10:10 Thank you for contacting client services.
10:13 As a valued gold member with Iris, your feedback is important to us.
10:17 A live agent will be with you shortly.
10:19 This conversation may be recorded for quality and training purposes.
10:24 [beep]
10:27 [beep]
10:30 [beep]
10:33 [beep]
10:36 [beep]
10:39 Thank you for calling client services.
10:42 This is Leah. How may I assist you this evening?
10:46 Hi.
10:48 Hi.
10:50 This is a weird thing to ask.
10:54 Um, did you run an update or change Rachel's backstory?
11:02 Um...
11:07 No, nothing major tonight. Just some network updates.
11:12 Okay, well, I'm not sure what's up, but she is really off.
11:21 Can you describe what happened?
11:24 She was just talking about all this stuff that, like, I didn't know what I was supposed to say.
11:30 Like, saying that she had a dead mom and just being really negative about everything.
11:38 I don't know if you guys are beta testing something, or if this is something based on our conversation history with my mom having passed away, but...
11:49 Uh, it's just not working for me, you know?
11:54 No, absolutely. I completely understand, sir.
11:57 Oh, and she goes running now, too?
12:01 Rachel's not supposed to be athletic. Like, at all.
12:06 I...
12:09 Look, I'm sorry. I'm just going through a lot right now, and I don't need to be worried about my mile time on top of everything else.
12:21 Of course, we want to make sure you're having the conversation that best suits your needs.
12:27 So, yeah, could you please just revert back to normal, Rachel?
12:34 Oh, and also maybe tone down the dorky laugh. It's starting to get kind of annoying.
12:42 I'll make a note of that.
12:44 Thank you.
12:46 [crickets chirping]
12:56 [gunshot]
12:58 [crickets chirping]
13:03 [crying]
13:09 [crying]
13:29 [doorbell]
13:52 Thank you for calling IRIS Client Services. This is Leah. How may I assist you this evening?
13:58 [music]
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