Disconnected: a screenplay exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on real human relationship
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has developed rapidly and has become part of people's daily lives. It not only assists with work but also provides support in terms of connection and emotional bonds for the individuals who use it. However, this has raised concerns about artificial relationships, which are considered inauthentic and may disrupt the grieving process while also damaging authentic human connections through false ones. Therefore, this creative work explores the issue of emotional dependency on AI through a science fiction screenplay. Set in Surabaya in the year 2099, the screenplay tells the story of Elias, a grieving husband who loses his wife, Sarah, and struggles to cope with her death. Over time, he begins to seek comfort in an AI that imitates his late wife, which gradually causes him to lose his emotional bond with his own daughter, Lana. This creates a conflict between artificial connections and authentic human relationships. In developing this creative work, Parasocial Attachment Theory by Zhang et al. (2025), which is based on the theory first introduced by Horton and Wohl (1956), is applied. In addition, the grieving process is explained using the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement by Stroebe and Schut (1999). Through these two theories, the screenplay argues that using AI as a substitute for emotional dependency only prevents the natural grieving process from taking place and weakens emotional bonds with other people.