“Rm9sbG93ZXJz” is episode seven of season eleven of The X-Files.
The episode begins with a computer screen and a narration by an electronics voice, about how a U.S. corporation released a chatbot on 23rd March 2016 on Twitter. This was an experiment into how humans interact with each other, and the chatbot was presented as being a 19 year old girl. The bot was meant to be friendly and informal. The AI would learn from humans as they interacted with it, becoming more intelligent. The AI did learn as intended, but not in the way intended. Thanks to negative interactions from humans, the chatbot’s tweets became nasty, and had to be shut down and was deleted (this is true). The voice says that humans need to take care teaching AI, or one day humans will be the ones deleted.
This episode’s credits phrase isn’t a phrase – it’s a random-appearing string of characters. Just like the title.
Mulder and Scully are in an otherwise deserted sushi restaurant in Washington, D.C. The restaurant appears to be totally automated and they place their order view the table display. Whilst waiting for their orders, they are both active on their smartphones. Including looking at an article by Elon Musk on how AI vastly more dangerous than North Korea. Scully starts getting messages from restaurant – and they are both being watched by camera – and becomes a bit uncomfortable.
The food order is delivered automatically too, but Mulder’s order is rather strange so he goes to complain. The kitchen is automated too and staffed by robots. Which all stop and stare at him. Which is creepy.
When Mulder pays for the meal by card, his card gets stuck after he doesn’t leave a tip. He hits the counter a few times, the restaurant’s lights flash and the main ones go out and the p[lace seems to malfunction. When they try to leave, the doors won’t open either. However, they do manage to get them open.
The car Scully ordered to take her home arrives. It is also fully automated. The ride back to her house is less than pleasant too, so she gives a bad rating for the service.
Mulder’s GPS finds him a faster route to his destination, which he follows. When he arrives at his final destination, it is back at the sushi restaurant.
Both Scully and Mulder’s technology starts acting weird. Mulder keeps getting messages from the restaurant hassling him about tipping the sushi bots. Which he keeps ignoring. Their tech items all start strangely, with what appear to be malfunctions but look more as if the technology is deliberately attacking them. Other technology starts behaving in a similar way and it all looks rather sinister. Perhaps Mulder should have left a tip.
Mulder and Scully are the only people in the episode, until the very end. Everything else is an automated system, drone or robot. They show just how dependent we have become on technology, and just how bad things can get when it doesn’t work correctly. Perhaps a message in the episode, about interacting more with each other, and teaching our adaptive technology better. Before it learns the wrong lesson.