2. FILMS & PUBLIC PERCEPTION
It is a common trope, particularly in the United States, that public opinion on an issue
is directly reflected in the movies that are released in that time period. The general
public’s perceptions on the issue of AI follows this trend par to course. Over the years,
Artificial intelligence has been depicted in many ways in movies, ranging from the
”Arnold Schwarzenegger” robot to voice in Tony Stark’s flight suit. It is sometimes at
the for front of the plot, while at other times it takes a back seat.
Examining the way in which movies address artificial intelligence offers a
relatively accurate means of determining how the public view AI at the time.
3.
4. THE FIRST MOVIE TO DEPICT
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence made its debut on the big screen in 1927 with
the premier of the German silent film, Metropolis. Metropolis
features a robot who was by a “mad scientist.” The creation was
indistinguishable from a human: “he” was seemingly sentient and was
programmed to destroy the fictional city of Metropolis. The people of
Metropolis eventually capture what they believe to be a human, but
when they burn “him” at the stake, the flames reveal his true form.
This first depiction of artificial intelligence is quite indicative of the
portrayal of AI for the next four decades:
Artificial Intelligence (particularly robots) is a threat to
humanity.
5. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD
STILL
The first AI character to make it in American came in 1951 classic directed by
Robert Wise. In this movie an alien, Klaatu, and his super-robot, Gort, visit
Earth with a warning: humans must learn to live peacefully or be destroyed as
a danger to other planets.
Though not the lead antagonist, as Gort was mostly-silent robot who was in
charge guarding the flying saucer that Klaatu used to get to Earth, introduced
the United States to the “threat of robots.”
The Day the Earth Stood Still was released amidst a period of significant
growth in the research and development of artificial intelligence in the United
States. The movie was received well by the public but had little to no effect on
the growth of the AI industry, as well as the publics perception of AI.
6. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
The United States endured seventeen long years before AI made its way back
into a popular movie with the release of the 1968 Oscar winning film, 2001:
A Space Odyssey. The story follows the crew of the spacecraft Discovery 1
who are a mission to find the origins of a mysterious artifact they found on
Mars. The conflict begins when the ships sentient supercomputer named HAL
9000 (or HAL) falsely reports that the spacecraft is faulty. After HAL overhears
plans that the crew is going to shut “him” down, “he” does everything in his
power to maintain control of the ship, even going as far as murdering crew
members. Even though HAL was eventually shutdown, the idea of a sentient
hyperintelligent supercomputer, with the ability outsmart and the intent
to harm humans, didn’t sit well with audiences.
The same year that 2001: A Space Odyssey was released; members of the
artificial intelligence research and development community were seeing
significant success and began making bold claims on what AI might look like
in the future. Arthur Clarke and Stanley Kubrick went as far as saying,
"Artificial intelligence will be be equivalent to human intelligence by 2001.”
2001: A Space Odyssey spawned one of the largest objections among the
public for the continued development of AI to this day:
if AI continues to improve, it will eventually become sentient and will
want to eliminate humanity.
7. WHAT DID THESE MOVIES DO FOR AI?
These three movies, particularly The Day the Earth Stood Still and 2001: A Space
Odyssey, caused a schism in the public's trains of thought.
EITHER
1. you feared the development of artificial intelligence, as there is a chance it
could turn into a killer robot or maniacal computer
OR
2. You classified the artificial intelligence (to the extent displayed in the movies)
as something that is science fiction and will remain fiction
8.
9. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TAKES A
BACK SEAT
The 1970’s, the United States was deep into the space race with the USSR. The public
was more focused on what what was happening above them (as well as the looming
threat of nuclear warfare), than what was happening with artificial intelligence.
In the early 70’s, movies continued to harp on some of the previous fears of AI
described in the early years of AI in movies
However, the later 70’s presented a new spin on AI: Not ALL artificial intelligence
is trying to end humanity.
10. WESTWORLD (1973)
Westworld is a movie from the from the early 1970s that covered AI, albeit from a
much different angle. This movie, which was written and directed by Michael Crichton,
has gained more recognition in recent years due to the HBO television show remake.
Westworld played into the fear of AI spawned in the 60’s, in that the movie is about
robot malfunction creates havoc and terror for unsuspecting vacationers at a futuristic
amusement park themed around the wild west.
The amount of bloodshed at the (mechanical) hands of robots in this movie, however,
is indicative of the conflicting views the public held about AI technology throughout
the 1970’s.
11. THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975)
The Stepford Wives is about a small suburb where
the women happily go about their housework -
cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking gourmet
meals - to please their husbands. The town
appears to perfect, but in reality, most of the
women there have been infused with artificial
intelligence and robotic upgrades.
This is one of the first movies to discuss the
sexualization of artificial intelligence in the form
of “perfect” robotic women. This idea is built on in
future films.
12. STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977)
Arguably, A New Hope is the first instalment in one
the most popular sagas in American Cinema history.
Focusing more on the public’s infatuation with space
and the theme of good (USA) vs. evil (USSR), George
Lucas created a whole new view on artificial
intelligence. Rather than AI wanting to end
humanity, the introduction of two of film’s two most
famous droids: C-3P0 and R2-D2 used their AI
capabilities to assist the Rebel Alliance.
This new idea that AI could in fact help humanity
and act on the side of “good” gained traction
and carried over to the next decade and beyond.
13.
14. BLADE RUNNER (1982)
In 1982, Blade Runner painted a fairly ambiguous portrait of bioengineered androids
known “replicants” that appeared to be human until administered an emotional
response test.
These androids were humanized, with Some being are violent, while others engage in
intimacy with humans and even show compassion and regret.
This reengaged the public in discussions of whether on not humans could become
intimate with sentient robots that was spurred by the ideas brought about in The
Stepford Wives.
15. TRON (1982)
Tron debuted in the same year as Blade Runner and fed
into the curiosity of those fascinated by the potential of
that decade’s technological advancements.
Tron explored an entire virtual world, controlled by a
powerful general-purpose AI that can create digital
versions of real people.
This film played into the public’s (particularly the younger
generations) infatuation with the recent introduction of the
Atari and Nintendo. The writers of Tron helped plant the
seed that AI could be an integral part of video games in
the future.
16. INFATUATION WITH THE FUTURE:
Though it was not particularly focused on AI (though it is an underlying element of
the film), the success of the original Back to the Future movie spurred the public and
movie industry into a “future frenzy.”
With the recent developments in the in the flourishing field of artificial intelligence in
the 80’s (particularly after Back to the Future was released), it was hard pressed to find
a film maker who didn’t create a future without some for AI being an everyday part of
life.
17. TERMINATOR (1884)
In 1984, the first installment of the Terminator series
produced Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic role as the title
character, a cyborg assassin sent from the future to kill
Sarah Connor to preserve the worldwide AI defense
network known as Skynet.
This harps back on the theme of AI vs. Man, but also
reiterates how diverse the views on AI had become by the
80’s.
AI has become a thing that is not only to be feared, but
respected for its potential upsides as well
18.
19. Y2K:
Y2K is the shorthand term for "the year 2000,” and is commonly used to refer to a widespread
computer programming shortcut that was expected to cause extensive havoc as the year
changed from 1999 to 2000.
The production of AI films boomed in 1999 after years of modest output, partly driven by fears
of Y2K. Five AI-focused films were released in 1999 alone.
Some sought to reassure the population, while others fed into the panic.
20. THE MATRIX (1999)
Arguably the most popular film depicting AI released in the AI craze
of 1999, The Matrix depicts a simulation in which humans are
unknowingly enslaved by powerful machines inside of a simulation.
Inside the simulation, AI representatives of the machines called
Agents suppress rebellions and ensure compliance until a human
comes along who can turn the system against its intelligent overlords
to free its prisoners.
This movie has spawned countless theories that the reality we live in
today might even be a simulation created by some advanced race or
some form of very advance artificial intelligence.
21. BICENTENNIAL MAN (1999)
On the other end of the spectrum, Robin Williams played a much friendlier artificially-
intelligent robot named Andrew in Bicentennial Man.
Andrew is able reciprocate emotions and wishes to learn about the arts and
humanities and to fall in love. Andrew is an anomaly who physically alters his own
programing to become mortal after realizing he doesn’t want to see his loved ones
die. He also fights for the right recognized as a human legally so his he can marry a
human.
This is one of the first movies in the genre to have AI as the main protagonist. This
also creates a theme that love can humanize a robot that is found in later movies.
22.
23. A NEW MILLENNIA:
After the Y2k scare was proved to be nothing more than a myth, comfortability with artificial
intelligence is heightened in the eyes of the public.
In the 2000’s more AI related films were released than any of the previous decades. Most films
examine the theme of good vs. evil in AI, humanizing AI beings and personifying them.
Advances in film making technology, especially the use of CGI, allowed film makes to create
much more vivid and realistic depictions of their visions of where AI was headed.
24. TRANSFORMERS (2007)
Michael Bays Transformers, tells the story of a struggle between two races of
advanced forms of sentient artificial intelligence, the “good” Autobots and the “evil”
Decepticons, after they have become stranded on earth.
The Transformers was the first big CGI movie to incorporate AI characters. This movie
was an eye-opening, nausea inducing, big screen event that really normalized how
extravagant AI could feasibly become.
The public’s comfortability with AI is displayed through the positive relationship that
human’s have with the Autobot race.
25. WALL-E (2008)
Disney’s WALL-E, is set in Earth’s future, where human’s have depleted
their resources on earth, and in order to avoid extinction have left into
space. WALL-E, the movies protagonist is a Waste collection robot. “He” is
the seemingly last robot left on Earth. Over the many years since humanity
left ”him” on early, WALL-E has developed a personality. WALL-E falls in
love with a “female” probe robot named EVE. ”He” hitches a ride back on
to the spaceship with the remaining human’s on EVE’s rocket. There he
battles the AI captain of the vessel, which a clear call back to 2001: A
Space Odyssey. All in all, WALL-E frees humanity and they return to Earth,
which has made a recovery in the years since humanity left.
WALL-E tries to close the door of the fears incited by 2001: A Space
Odyssey through the moving having its main character kill their depiction
of HAL 9000. WALL-E embodies the public’s lack of distain for AI in the
2000’s and suggests that AI can benefit us in the future.
26.
27. MOVIE STREAMING SERVICES USE AI
NOW. AI IS NORMAL:
By the 2010’s Artificial Intelligence is just an everyday part of life in the public’s mind. It effectively
lost the shock and awe value it had in the past.
So, what do film makes do?
Just incorporate it in the background, where characters use it as a tool to aid them
OR
Surrounded your characters in AI so if they do posses AI or robotic upgrades, they are less
threatening and out of place.
28. THE AVENGERS (2012)
Marvel Studio’s The Avengers, perfectly illustrates where AI plays a
role in the movies of today. Tony Stark, better known as the
superhero Iron Man, uses a ridiculously advanced artificial intelligence
program that helps him during combat, as well as in his daily. His AI
program, which he calls JARVIS, is used much like his personal
assistant (a hyperintelligent Siri if you will).
In the past, the “wow factor” incited by new technology like AI would
have been enough to make a movie purely on Tony’s relationship
with his glorified AI butler.
But when you put this advanced AI technology in a world where there
are literal gods (Thor)just casually interacting with humans, magic
sorcerers, aliens invading earth every few years, and infinity stones,
the AI is just a semi-realistic concept that ties that world to reality of
the public.
29. HER (2013)
Her, utilizes the themes of traditional love story, but adds a
touch of insight into the near future of AI. Her is about a
human man who falls for a disembodied AI named
Samantha. Although she claims to love him back, she
eventually leaves for “a place that’s not of the physical
world.” Samantha, an operating system created to evolve,
shows remorse before she goes, saying, “As much as I want
to, I can’t live in your book anymore.”
Her didn’t necessarily gain popularity because it had AI in
it, rather it normalized AI and put it in a world where
advanced AI isn’t uncommon. The filmed was popular
because the public could relate to the modern adaptation
of the typical love-loss romance
30. CURRENT STATE OF THE PUBLIC:
Indicative of the public mindset on most things post-2010, developments in artificial intelligence
have become less and less intriguing for people.
Humanity is seeing technological improvement so fast that it takes a whole lot to impress people
now-a-days.
My statement is simply this:
Pay attention to what's going on around you, stay informed. Risks are present in everything;
artificial intelligence is no different. Don’t allow ourselves to be the cause of our own
destruction, especially through AI, as it offers humanity so much potential for good.
31. WORKS CITED:
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