Would You Invest in Westworld? Technology, Morality and Profits

The final episode of “Westworld” came out this week and we discovered new information about the Westworld investor, William (the guy who wears the black hat). It got us thinking: If you had the chance, would you invest in the development of “Westworld?”

There are two kinds of people who invest in Westworld. There’s the Board who sees the park as a business to capitalize on self-discovery getaways for the rich; and the founders who view it as a laboratory to advance the robotic technology of the “hosts.”

Westworld as a Park for Guests

Guests are openly invited to participate in acts of questionable morality against the hosts. But members of the Board, like Charlotte Hale and William, view the park as a place for guests to have a good time and find their true selves. Westworld has the potential to become a new kind of vacation. As a truly immersive experience that tests your principles, it may transform you into a new, and more confident person.

Will this be what makes Westworld profitable for years to come?

There’s a lot of intrigue going on in Westworld, including sabotage of the robots’ code. That makes it a scary park to actually go visit. Some of the more cunning robots are becoming violent towards guests. However, depending on the kind of risk you’re willing to take, this might not bother you as a potential investor.

Westworld for Robot Technology

Another way to view Westworld as a potential investment is if you’re in it for the hosts, like Arnold and Ford. They are investors in the sense that they’ve used their time, intellect, and care to cultivate the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of hosts. As we learned in this last episode, Arnold was developing these hosts with the goal of creating consciousness. Through various tests, Arnold was learning more and more about creating consciousness by building off memories (particularly those that incite grief) and incorporating improvisation. Because of Westworld, Arnold had the opportunity to experiment with robotic consciousness. Would Westworld be a valuable investment opportunity if it furthered innovation in robot technology?

Is some version of “Westworld” a possibility for us?

Westworld in Our Future?

Maybe the reason why “Westworld” is such an entertaining show is because it’s a place that we could potentially see existing in our future. Whether it’s a park where the extremely wealthy can relieve their psychological issues, or a proving ground to develop complex robots, we’re drawn to the show because it could exist.

The roots of the park’s existence are drawn from our current reality. Take the wealthy park goers, for example. The wealth gap continues to widen, cultivating an exclusive group of people with extravagant wealth. Trips to private islands get old motivating ever newer experiences like traveling to space or spending $40,000 day in a place like Westworld doing whatever you desire. Is some version of “Westworld” a possibility for us?

It’s possible we could use something like Westworld to test the ethical nature and conscientious boundaries of robots. We’re already discussing the ethics of using robots in life-or-death situations. We may not be too far from developing robot consciousness, and we’ll need a large, free space (like the desert in Westworld) to do it. The way we see it, Westworld is a venture that has private individual and institutional investors. But perhaps, in real life, it would be a government venture. Or the venture of a tech start-up that belongs to someone like Elon Musk.

“Westworld” offers a valuable lesson when it comes to investing. William chose to invest in the park because he believed, as a young man, in the park’s powerful impact on a guest’s self-discovery. He, and the rest of the board, saw an ability for profit in creating such an alluring environment for paying guests. Arnold invested himself in the park because he thought the long standing impact on robot technology would be an astounding feat, lead to industry growth, and have a profound impact on humanity.

Would you invest in Westworld?