Research Paper Introduction

Aaron Straker

10/22/2012

Research Paper

           

            Judging from the evidence in 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick, Alien/Prometheus by Ridley Scott and several other scholarly sources, the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology may be fraught with danger.  Based on the actions from the characters Ash-Alien, David-Prometheus and HAL-2001: A Space Odyssey.  These films dramatizes the struggle between humans and intelligent machines and challenges the view that we can peacefully co-exist.

            Alien is a movie about a crew in space.  They get a signal from a planet and go to check it out.  One of the crew members is attacked by a life form that attaches itself to the crew members face.  Ripley another crew member doesn’t want to let them back on the ship, because of the risk of infections.  Ripley is actually in charge at the moment due to the circumstances.  Another crew member Ash ignores the orders of Ripley and opens the door thus starting the movie.  Also ignoring Ripley’s authority at the moment.  In Alien the audience is unaware that Ash is a robot until later in the film.  Here is an example of the mystery of Ash in Alien “The cast includes Charlize Theron as a deep-pocketed corporate heavy from a company whose name may ring bells for Alien aficionados, Michael Fassbender as the crew's resident is-he-or-isn't-he-an-android (cue comparisons to Ian Holm's Ash)”

            Prometheus is a movie about a crew in space trying to find their creators.  They think the people who created humans are engineers on a certain planet.  In this movie the audience knows David is a robot.  There isn’t a big reveal like with Alien and the character Ash.  They eventually find the planet and begin their work but it seems like David has a hidden agenda and seems to be working against certain crew members.  Here is an example of David’s character “You must feel like your God left you, he mocks her, showing a very human sadistic streak. (Doherty)

            2001: A Space Odyssey is about a crew in space on a mission.  They have a robot named HAL 9000 helping them.  HAL 9000 is a robot but you only hear his voice.  He isn’t like David or Ash who actually have bodies.  While they are in space HAL 9000 starts to act a bit differently and that’s when the movie really starts.  This article gives an example of HAL 9000 “You almost feel sad when that last flicker of red light goes out of HAL's "eye" near the ending of Stanley Kubrick's operatic space adventure, but the computer with the relaxing voice is a cruel killing machine when threatened. More human than the astronauts, HAL brags a terrifying combo of dueling logical and emotional tendencies. -- Jeff Labrecque” (Dalton)