For 15 years, Charlie Brooker’s dystopian anthology series has compelled us to confront the darker side of technology. In 2011, that meant live TV ransoms and reality shows driven by capitalism. But last year, in , we saw memories brought to life, emotions operating on subscription models, and the Hollywood remake machine taking a strikingly literal approach.
In an era where AI is everywhere, Black Mirror won’t stop reflecting real life anytime soon — but what might come next?
Netflix recently announced that Black Mirror will return for an eighth season, and Brooker already has ideas in mind. “I can confirm that Black Mirror will return, just as reality catches up to it,” he said in a promo with the streamer. “That’s exciting. That part of my brain has already been activated and is humming away.”
The comment that the season will arrive “just in time for reality to catch up with it” is notable, as the rapidly shifting technological landscape was previously used to explain gaps between seasons. Back in 2020, Brooker Season 6 by stating, “At the moment, I don’t know if there’s an appetite for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working on one of those.”
Now, the rise of AI and other new technologies has become a resource for Brooker, offering a wealth of potential ideas. We’re increasingly surrounded by technology that feeds on our emotions and tries to be our friend — a theme not new to the show (the Season 2 premiere, “Be Right Back,” focused on a chatbot trained on messages from a deceased loved one) — yet today, it seems everything from our phones to our toasters is trying to engage us in conversation.
With reality now more extreme than ever, how far will Brooker take things? Will we see his take on AI hallucinations? Could there be a sequel to the Season 2 episode “Be Right Back,” similar to how Season 7 followed up “U.S.S. Callister”? Are there dangers we haven’t even noticed yet? In the world of Black Mirror, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.