I think Eliza does a good job exploring the ethics and moral frameworks held up by the various people with power in the tech industry. Although Eliza skirts around topics like the medical industrial complex, AI, ethics and philosophy, it is at its core a story about how uniquely unqualified the tech industry is at approaching human problems and how they do it with the utmost carelessness. In place of ethics or holistic research is ingrained a capitalist hubris to dream big and solve interesting problems without considering how those solutions fit into society and the systems it lives in.

A lot of this feels very personal, written out of the direct experiences one would have after working in the tech industry. Much of what I've been grappling with in the last few years maps pretty directly to the themes and feelings in this story. I found myself empathizing a lot with the societal withdrawal Evelyn experiences and just the way she disassociates, how she handles her personal relationships and the feelings of nothingness that aren't quite good but are comforting in some ways.

The therapy sessions were visceral. There were some that resonated so much with me. I wish their problems weren't dashed to the side so quickly to make room for the tech characters to ruminate on their personal philosophies and impact on society. It really feels antithetical to everything that came before, to criticize tech bro mentalities only for Evelyn to become an Important Figure that must decide the fate of herself and Many People.

Despite this, I think its heart is in the right place. The story of Eliza doesn't say anything too confidently, and doesn't call for radical change. But I think this is because its creators are learning to do one thing that runs opposite to the system they've been a part of for so long - be humble. Be a small change. It's okay for now.