Chris McCausland: Seeing into the future – A Review
BBC Two’s “Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future” offers a compelling, if understated, look at the potential of artificial intelligence and technological advancements to improve the lives of disabled people. The program follows comedian Chris McCausland as he explores cutting-edge innovations, beginning with a visit to Meta to meet their head of accessibility. The show acknowledges Meta’s history of ”privacy violations and data management” with a brief mention, a point the review notes feels insufficient given the gravity of those issues and the ethical complexities of relying on such a company for assistive technology.
However, the program quickly moves forward, focusing on the immediate impact of these technologies on McCausland himself. He tests Meta’s smart glasses, especially excited by the prospect of “live AI” – a feature capable of responding to real-time questions about his surroundings. He playfully uses the AI to assess the professionalism of the camera crew, demonstrating the technology’s capabilities.
The journey continues with a ride in a self-driving vehicle in San Francisco, a “first” for McCausland who experiences the novelty of travelling alone in a moving car controlled by AI. Despite presenting a deliberately stoic exterior, McCausland reveals moments of genuine emotion, such as a visible reaction while the AI describes a plane flying overhead. He expresses a desire to use the glasses for everyday tasks like vinyl shopping and ordering cheeseburgers, highlighting the potential for increased independence.
A significant portion of the program is dedicated to the groundbreaking work being done at MIT. McCausland tests a bionic limb with a scientist who is also a double amputee, and learns about a revolutionary nano chip – a 10,000th of the width of a human hair – with the potential to treat conditions like Alzheimer’s and even restore, and perhaps enhance, vision.Engineer Deblina Sarka explains the chip could effectively replace the photoreceptor cells causing McCausland’s blindness.
While another presenter might have delivered a deeply emotional response, McCausland maintains his characteristic humor, proposing a follow-up documentary where he allows Sarka to inject his brain with the chip to gain high-resolution night vision for a game of Laser Quest – a suggestion that reportedly prompted concern from BBC executives.
“chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future” is currently available on iPlayer, and offers a thought-provoking, and frequently enough surprisingly moving, exploration of a future shaped by technology.
