If robots develop self-awareness, what would make them different from humans through a societal point of view?
“Ergo Proxy” is a Japanese animated series created in 2006 that ran for 23 episodes. It was produced by Manglobe, directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō.
The series is a cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic psychological thriller and follows the main character Re-L. The story takes place in a dystopian future where humans and AutoReiv androids live peacefully in a coexisting society until a virus spreads that gives androids self-awareness. This causes a series of murders to take place and the assigned inspector Re-L discovers a much more complex system happening behind the scenes.
After an ecological disaster caused the outside world to be uninhabitable, domed cities were built as safe havens for the remaining population. The city Romdeau, where the story begins, is heavily governed by a bureaucracy that controls every aspect of life.
Despite the era it was released in, “Ergo Proxy” doesn’t feel like the generic futuristic dystopian series—even with its strong early 2000s aesthetic. Themes of existentialism, individualism vs collectivism, consciousness and what it means to be alive in society are portrayed through a unique philosophical and reflective lens.
One key aspect of this world is the existence of Proxies. A Proxy is essentially a race of genetically engineered superhumans that were created as messengers to look over humanity within the domes after the global disaster occurred. They possess otherworldly powers and are considered immortal—only to be killed during one specific situation.
Although Proxies are genetically engineered, they are flawed and lonely. They struggle with the meaning of their existence and what their purpose truly is within the dome.
This series is not straightforward in any sense but rather pushes viewers to juggle these complex philosophical ideas along with the characters.
It’s very easy to jump into “Ergo Proxy” for the unique character design and gothic aesthetic while thinking, “Yeah, I’ll just lock in and analyze everything they say,” when in fact, the chances of locking in and actually understanding the entirety of the series on a first watch-through is quite literally zero.
This series has no shame in withholding significant information from the viewer until the last couple of episodes. It delivers such intense whiplash that there is no way to connect all of the events without rewatching—and then picking up on of the foreshadowing and details that have laid out the final revelation.
The Cogito virus is arguably one of the most interesting plot points in the series, and could even be discussed in the context of our own society when it comes to AI and robots becoming more apparent and widespread.
The Cogito virus is essentially a virus that infects AutoReivs with a sense of self-awareness—which begins to threaten the hyper-controlled balance within the Dome.
The ideas that play out in Ergo Proxy bring up a lot of interesting questions: what is the ideal society? How much do we as individuals need to give up for the greater good of humanity? Are the results of an action that deserves consequences or do the intentions identify that?
The concept of our current society getting to the point of the already in development self-aware robots brings up the conversation of where the line is drawn when it comes to ethics in artificial humans.
Autorevis do not have flesh or a soul—yet when one is killed in the series it feels immoral and unconscionable. What does this mean for a world that is headed towards coexistence with robots?
