How has science fictions film representation of artificial intelligence
developed over the last 50 years in relation to modern day developments?
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How are you approaching the question – angle – argument?
By implanting examples of the varying representations
of A.I / robots over the years in film and asking the sub question:
Have humans subconsciously acknowledged that A.I may some day run our lives/ A.I is our natural evolution as our species?
Can science fiction films support this theory (for/against) and provide evidence of our changing views to A.I in reality?
Have humans subconsciously acknowledged that A.I may some day run our lives/ A.I is our natural evolution as our species?
Can science fiction films support this theory (for/against) and provide evidence of our changing views to A.I in reality?
To answer this I will show examples of A.I’s being presented over different decades. The potentially helpful and life saving robot/AI (C3PO – starwars ) and the transition in becoming a "war machine" to
be feared (Terminator) and then finally their transition to a higher being (Her, Ex Machina, I Robot) and asking what is next in the science fiction representation?
My angle of the argument will be that I think that humans haven't always acknowledged or accepted A.I as the natural evolution of our species (films like Terminator and I Robot back this up, where Humans rally against the robots and assert their authority in the movies).
How there was a mid range film (A.I Aritifical Intelligence 2001) where the robots weren't the bad guys but they were rallied against anyways but still outlived the humans ultimately.
But as modern technology has developed (siri, hospital A.I, online services) that we are gradually coming towards a realisation that our creations might surpass us/ our abilities and this is shown through recent movies such as Ex Machina and Her where the viewer is left having to acknowledge that the A.I has overpowered the humans and is left as both the protagonist and antagonist at the end of the film. The inclusion of the idea of consciousness will be something i will interlink into the essay, our humanisation of robots (and their appearance) over the years but also how they are always represented as slaves (c3po, A.I, I Robot)
My angle of the argument will be that I think that humans haven't always acknowledged or accepted A.I as the natural evolution of our species (films like Terminator and I Robot back this up, where Humans rally against the robots and assert their authority in the movies).
How there was a mid range film (A.I Aritifical Intelligence 2001) where the robots weren't the bad guys but they were rallied against anyways but still outlived the humans ultimately.
But as modern technology has developed (siri, hospital A.I, online services) that we are gradually coming towards a realisation that our creations might surpass us/ our abilities and this is shown through recent movies such as Ex Machina and Her where the viewer is left having to acknowledge that the A.I has overpowered the humans and is left as both the protagonist and antagonist at the end of the film. The inclusion of the idea of consciousness will be something i will interlink into the essay, our humanisation of robots (and their appearance) over the years but also how they are always represented as slaves (c3po, A.I, I Robot)
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Your images – why have you chosen these – how do they relate to
one another and the argument.
Images from the movie Metropolis (how it is slightly humanised and shows how humans are still superior and how robots still retain their slave status)
images from A.I 2001 and terminator (how we gave them skin and they blended in with us and programmed them to have their own agenda or purpose for us.)
Images from Her, Ex Machina, (how the robots themselves choose to be presented, Her the A.I is not seen but is an internet consciousness and in Ex Machina where she chooses to look like a human to fit her own agenda).
Images from the movie Metropolis (how it is slightly humanised and shows how humans are still superior and how robots still retain their slave status)
images from A.I 2001 and terminator (how we gave them skin and they blended in with us and programmed them to have their own agenda or purpose for us.)
Images from Her, Ex Machina, (how the robots themselves choose to be presented, Her the A.I is not seen but is an internet consciousness and in Ex Machina where she chooses to look like a human to fit her own agenda).
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Your chosen supporting sources – what do they say including counter
arguments.
The inclusion of the Red Queen Hypothesis will most likely be included
Red queen hypothesis not always mentioned but always alluded too, the law of extinction which often features in sci fi films with the A.I’s realizing that they are next in the evolutionary step of humanity and often wanting to wipe out the humans in some way ( prometheous and irobot examples here).
(in the argument this would mean that A.I's have always had that ability to surpass us as it is natural evolution)
The counter argument being that Robots will always be created to serve us and probably will never get to the stage as a manifested thing but will only ever be regarded as a science fiction antagonist.
(in the argument this would mean that A.I's have always had that ability to surpass us as it is natural evolution)
The counter argument being that Robots will always be created to serve us and probably will never get to the stage as a manifested thing but will only ever be regarded as a science fiction antagonist.
Inclusion of the turing test being
passed and peoples reactions to it
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Any quotes selected – your interpretation – how they relate to the
argument.
Books selected to look at
- Do Androids dream of electric sheep (fiction), the ideas of humanity in robots and coexistence.
- I robot by Isaac Asimov (fiction) this includes the three laws of robotics which is a main theme throughout many science fiction novella.
- The Bright Labyrinth, sex death and design in the digital regime (non fiction) talking about how technology has impacted human culture
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Any conclusions? (You may not have any yet).
The representation of A.I in science fiction is slowly manifesting itself into two representations that each related themselves to the current reality and society we are living in, These two representations are
a conscious non physical form, something that is entirely possible within our lifetime (technically it is online now but has no control over anything as of yet)
and a physical robot that wants to blend in with humans but be free of a human mindset.
The physical robot is representative of our acceptance and celebration of a technological evolution within society and the inclusion of technology in our lives. The physical robot is used within science fiction to occasionally narrates the threat of becoming to self reliant on convenience and that if something has a conscious it should be treated as such. We often beat the physical robot in science fiction which creates hope for the human race and hope that robots are not the evolution of humans.
The conscious non physical A.I is representative of our own fear of the unknown, something we have created that we cannot control. It is used within science fiction to narrate and remind us to not to abuse technology and not to trust technology. We often struggle to beat the A.I in science fiction because it is hard (but not impossible) to stop something that isn't physically manifested (iRobot, Resident Evil, Skynet - terminator) and that controls our actions/lives/ other robots. This creates mistrust in the development of Robotics/A.I and alludes to A.I becoming the evolution of humanity.
These two representations together create a balance in the science fiction world and a balanced response to modern technology. The one celebrates our advancements and reminds us we are in charge and the other shows the brilliance of A.I and reminds us that we shouldn't rely too heavily on something we cannot guarantee complete control over.
The representation of A.I in science fiction is slowly manifesting itself into two representations that each related themselves to the current reality and society we are living in, These two representations are
a conscious non physical form, something that is entirely possible within our lifetime (technically it is online now but has no control over anything as of yet)
and a physical robot that wants to blend in with humans but be free of a human mindset.
The physical robot is representative of our acceptance and celebration of a technological evolution within society and the inclusion of technology in our lives. The physical robot is used within science fiction to occasionally narrates the threat of becoming to self reliant on convenience and that if something has a conscious it should be treated as such. We often beat the physical robot in science fiction which creates hope for the human race and hope that robots are not the evolution of humans.
The conscious non physical A.I is representative of our own fear of the unknown, something we have created that we cannot control. It is used within science fiction to narrate and remind us to not to abuse technology and not to trust technology. We often struggle to beat the A.I in science fiction because it is hard (but not impossible) to stop something that isn't physically manifested (iRobot, Resident Evil, Skynet - terminator) and that controls our actions/lives/ other robots. This creates mistrust in the development of Robotics/A.I and alludes to A.I becoming the evolution of humanity.
These two representations together create a balance in the science fiction world and a balanced response to modern technology. The one celebrates our advancements and reminds us we are in charge and the other shows the brilliance of A.I and reminds us that we shouldn't rely too heavily on something we cannot guarantee complete control over.
Any thing you
want to ask the group - difficulties with subject matter / sources etc.
