Reaction to “The Veldt”

I found this story to be really interesting and thought provoking. I’ve wondered from time to time whenever the newest gadget becomes available if inventors or consumers will ever reach a limit or have a moment in moral conscience that stops them from creating potentially dangerous devices. In sections of the story I also agreed with the characters Lydia and Peter’s concerns the how obsolete they had become as parents. It made me wonder if there will ever come a time when we ourselves as humans become obsolete? If so then what purpose will all our technological advancements have served? Other than to prove we could do it?

The scene of the parents in the kitchen reminded me of a similar scene from a childrens movie I saw when I was younger about an AI engineered house that caters to a single father and his two children but ultimately takes things too far when it tries to replace the children’s deceased mother. In the scene the family is being introduced to the house by its creator as she demonstrates to them how their new kitchen can whip up a meal out of thin air. I remember marveling at this imaginary technology when I was a kid and wishing that I would live to see the day where this would be the norm, essentially my perspective then was similar to the children in the story. Now that I’m older I’m having second thoughts and the future and direction AI technology, which makes me increasing wary.