How Westworld Imagined A Future Of Digital Totalitarianism

Are algorithms stripping away our free will?

Warning — this article contains no spoilers for the plot of Westworld Season 3, but does discuss some of the season’s themes and setting. If you prefer to avoid all coverage before you watch a show, best to close this piece and get streaming.

Though the sci-fi blockbuster Westworld is set in 2058, it’s not easy at first to spot the difference between the futuristic cities depicted on screen and our own. Season 3 of the show portrays a society glued to their smartphones, trying to climb corporate ladders and popping pills when it all gets too much. The biggest difference appears to be that driverless cars are seen on actual roads, not just empty deserts.

But all is not as it seems. In the first episode of the season, we see Caleb (Westworld’s strapping new male lead) informed by robo-call that his job application had been denied — his ‘score’ was not high enough. Later, the former soldier is warned not to drop out of mandatory counselling, doing so would drop his score. It turns out that Caleb’s score dictates everything in his life: his occupation, where he can live, even who he can date and whether he can have children. This is a degree of control even China can only dream about.