Her

15

Set in Los Angeles, in the near future, Her follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right.

Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice (Scarlett Johansson) who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.

In a world increasingly reliant on AI chatbots for all aspects of our lives, Spike Jonze's (Synecdoche, New York, Being John Malkovich) provocative exploration of love between man and machine continues to take on renewed relevance over a decade on.

Showing as part of our long-running Philosophy & Film strand, the film was selected by philosopher Ruby Hornsby, who will give a short talk on love and AI after the film, before we open up to questions and discussion. 

Ruby Hornsby recently defended her PhD at Leeds University which explored the philosophy and ethics of human-AI relationships. She is currently a postgraduate researcher for The Ethical Dating Online Project: A network of academics, industry professionals and charities working together to make online dating safer and more fulfilling. Ruby is also the founder of Wiser Debate Club, a philosophical debate club for people aged 65+ in Leeds, which has recently been awarded funding to expand to other UK cities.