The Perils Of Artificial Intelligence in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Prometheus

 Aaron Straker                                                                                                            

10/22/2012

Research Paper

                        The Perils Of Artificial Intelligence in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Prometheus

          Throughout history of film robots have been portrayed many different ways.  Ranging from the simple depiction of a robot from the movie Terminator.  Where the robot only goes around shooting people and has zero people skills.  Or a more complex depiction from a movie called I Robot.  Where the robot is able to have a conversation with humans and display many emotions.   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.  He watches all the crew members while there in hyper sleep in the beginning of Prometheus.  He went on with his daily routines for many years till the day they woke up; while they were asleep he took care of everything on the ship.  “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)”(Nashawaty).  There isn’t a big reveal like in another movie called Alien with 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 later in the film “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 who actually has a body.  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).

            HAL 9000 is represented in the film as just a voice.  Here is a description on HAL 9000 “2001: A Space Odyssey famously introduces HAL-9000, an artificial intelligence that takes the crew members to the  mysterious object near one of the moons of the planet Saturn”(DeNardo).  When he speaks in scenes you’ll see a red dot and a circle.  The view of technology is optimistic and pessimistic in 2001 A Space Odyssey.  In the beginning it’s shown the many things that HAL 9000 can do.  But later on it turns pessimistic when HAL 9000 starts behaving badly.  For example turning off the crew members in hyper sleep (thus killing them), killing a crew member in space, and not letting Dave come back on the ship.  The technology of HAL 9000 in 2001 A Space Odyssey is complex.  He’s able to see every crew member on the ship, able to play and defeat a crew member in a game of chess, and has control of the ships doors (not letting Dave back on).  Unlike HAL 9000 David from Prometheus has a body.  Here is an article that makes a connection between David from Prometheus and HAL 9000 from 2001 A Space Odyssey.  The article uses the actors name instead of David “Fassbender is perfection as a super-intelligent, slightly prideful android -- he could possibly be a faraway relative to the HAL 9000 in "2001: A Space Odyssey"(Grierson).  David is depicted as an intelligent robot that is able to do things that humans do.  Due to his artificial intelligence like HAL 9000.  Maybe even better at times.  David is also depicted as having a bit of emotion and showing a bit of anger at times.  The view of technology in this movie is optimistic.  In the beginning it shows all that they’ve been able to accomplish due to technology.  Also David’s immortality as stated by another character he’ll never die.  He doesn’t grow old like humans.  The tech in Prometheus is very complex from when they were in the caves, hyper sleep for the crew members similar to 2001 A Space Odyssey.

            In one scene in Prometheus David speaks to another crew member.  He’s speaking to the crew member about how far he will go to reach his goal.  The crew member says he’ll do everything and anything.  David asks the crew member if he wants a glass of wine, the crew member says yes.  Before David gives this crew member the glass of wine he dips his finger into the wine.  Doesn’t sound too bad but before this scene David had an unknown alien liquid on his finger, in this scene the audience is supposed to be shocked because David is supposed to be helping but he just infected a crew member with an unknown alien fluid.  This crew member later on had intercourse with another crew member.  This led to her also getting infected and pregnant with an alien baby.  What is even more shocking is that she’s able to survive.  But David’s reaction to survival is also shocking to the audience.  Here is David’s reaction “I didn’t think you had it in you,” smiles David, amazed by her “extraordinary survival instinct.”(Doherty).  David also shows a bit of dark humor mocking her about her alien pregnancy.  In one scene in 2001 A Space Odyssey a crew member named Dave is trying to get back on board.  He calls HAL 9000 multiple times to open the doors.  Eventually HAL 9000 answers saying affirmative Dave I read you.  Dave asks HAL 9000 to open the doors again, but HAL 9000 tells Dave that he can’t do that.  Dave pretends to be confused by HAL 9000 actions, until HAL 9000 says that he can read lips and found out that Dave and another crew member were trying to shut him down.  Here is a better description of what happened “Remember the scene from ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' when the evil robot Hal 9000 figures out the crew members want to disconnect him by reading their lips?”(Headlam)  The audience is supposed to be shocked by this shocked in this scene.  HAL 9000 seemed perfect for the job earlier in the movie.  Know he seems to have changed his act around.

            2001 A Space Odyssey got a few things wrong about artificial intelligence.  Currently there are no such things as HAL 9000 being able to turn on human beings and use the environment against them.  Or for example the robots can’t just learn things similar to how HAL 9000 read the crew members lips.  As stated here “They were not, in themselves, self-learning, but when they were used in groups they operated more like an organism.”(Just How Smart are Computers, Anyway).  But even here one wouldn’t be sure if the group meant humans or other robots.  Another thing that is questionable is HAL 9000 defeating the crew member in a game of chess.  The audience only sees HAL 9000 and the crew member playing one game of chess.  As stated here “Neural nets are improving instead of needing a supercomputer to calculate all situations in a chess game rapidly, a neural net would start out with casual human errors, but would improve with each game.(Just How Smart are Computers, Anyway).

            Even though movies sometimes exaggerate robots there is one that HAL 9000 is able to do that can be done in real life.  During the film HAL 9000 plays a crew member in a game of chess.  In real life you can play checkers or chess including other game programs against the computer.  You can also select the level of difficulty level if you want a better chance at winning.  But obviously in 2001 A Space Odyssey HAL 9000 was most likely at the highest level of his program to ensure his victory.  Another important role in these robots and film is Artificial Intelligence.  This plays an important role in many films with robots.  “Artificial Intelligence is a computer of robot whose processing ability is capable, swift and complex enough to copy the intelligence of human beings”(DeNardo).  This is shown in 2001 A Space Odyssey where HAL 9000 plays a crew member in chess.  But there’s another interesting part for Artificial Intelligence in movies “Many science-fiction stories portray AI beings that not only exhibits human intelligence, but surpass it, often making it a threat to human existence”(DeNardo).  This is also how HAL 9000 was able to defeat the crew member in the chess game, leaving the crew member even surprised because he didn’t even realize that he had lost the game.  From both movies the characters David and HAL 9000 were a threat to the humans.  In real life there is nothing like David.  They aren’t any robots that like and act like humans.  But with David’s artificial intelligence he’s able to exchange witty banter with a crew member.  There is actually an app on the iPhone, iPad etc. called simsimi that you can have a conversation with.  It exchanges witty banter with you depending on what you say.  This is what David does in the movie.  But there is no such thing in the real world like David yet. 

            2001 A Space Odyssey is optimistic and pessimistic on robots.  It’s mainly pessimistic because of all the trouble HAL 9000 caused by the end of the movie.  The film starts off somewhat optimistic but the thought of HAL 9000 making is there.  Earlier in the movie HAL 9000 is interviewed by someone and the person asks about error. HAL 9000 says something along the lines that’s not in his program.  When the interview is finished the person who interviewed HAL 9000 says something along the lines seems like HAL 9000 has a bit of an attitude.  The film maker Stanley Kubrick made HAL 9000 very subtle.  He’s just a red dot and has a cold emotionless voice.  Moments when he speaks you’ll simply see the red dot while hearing his voice.  This creates suspense because you never see what he’s doing or planning to do, since his voice and the red dot are his only presence throughout the movie.  The movie was created in 1968 and they didn’t have an abundance of special effects which helped create suspense.  Similar 2001 A Space Odyssey Prometheus starts off optimistic then eventually turns pessimistic.  David’s portrayal is different from HAL 9000 portrayal even though they both are artificial intelligences.  David actually has a body and is able to have conversations with other crew members.  While HAL 9000’s portrayal is more subtle David’s seems to be subtle and exaggerated.    David’s portrayal isn’t as suspenseful as HAL 9000 because you see the actor on the screen and what he’s doing.  But while David’s portrayal isn’t as suspenseful it’s far more shocking.  Another thing that made David’s portrayal more shocking is special effects.  Throughout the film you see David doing his own thing.  Such as bringing one of the alien capsules back on the ship and infecting a crew member with the alien liquid, also the crew member getting impregnated with an alien baby.  The damage that David causes is far more exaggerated.  While HAL 9000’s damage or trouble caused is more subtle he simply shuts off the machines for the crew members in hyper sleep and refused to let Dave back on the ship.

Based on evidence in Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Prometheus by Ridley Scott and several scholarly sources, the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology may be fraught with danger; these films dramatize the struggle between humans and intelligent machines and challenge the view that humans and robots can peacefully co-exist.  In conclusion you can see how hard it can be can humans and robots to coexist.  From 2001 A Space Odyssey where HAL 9000 learned of the 2 crew members plans and suddenly turned evil.  Also from Prometheus with David who was sabotaging the other crew members plans throughout the movie.

Works Cited

Ross, Collis, Vary, Orvino, Labrecque, Dalton, Rachel, Jeff, Clark, Adam B. "Badass Space Villains.." Article .1207 (n.d.): 8-8. EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete.

Web. 24 October 2012.

This is an article rating the top 5 space villains.  It was made before the release of the movie Avengers, the space villain in that movie is Loki.  This article just wanted to go back and honor some space villains from the past.  HAL 9000 got number three on this list, showing this robot has certainly stood the test of time.

Doherty, Thomas. " Prometheus. ." Entertainment Review 37. 4 (n.d.): 53-55.                                            EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 October 2012.

This article reviews Prometheus.  It talks about certain topics in the movie and the characters.  Also brings up other movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey.  It also compares Dr. Shaw to Vickers.  Dr. Shaw is a sensitive person while Vickers is cold hearted.  Most importantly quotes David the robot in the movie while he’s displaying a mean streak.

2001: A Space Odyssey. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester. [1968.]                        Warner Home Video, 200. DVD.

In 2001 A Space Odyssey there is an interaction between HAL 9000 and David.  In this scene from 2001 A Space Odyssey HAL 9000 refuses to let David back on the ship.  HAL 9000 doesn’t let David back on the ship because earlier in the film, he figured out David and another crew member were going to kill him.

Grierson, Tim . "Tim Grierson Reviews 'Madagascar 3' and 'Prometheus'." 7 June 2012: . LexisNexis Academic.

Web. 3 November 2012.

Here is a newspaper review from LexisNexis.  This article has only a small amount of information about Prometheus.  But in the article they make an interesting connection between David and HAL 9000.  They describe David as super intelligent and maybe even related to HAL 9000.  This is interesting because both of these movies have a huge time gap.  Prometheus came out this year June 2012 and 2001 A Space Odyssey dates all the way back to 1968.

DeNardo, John . "Demystifying Sci-Fi Terms, Part 2." 21 March 2012: . LexisNexis

Academic. Web. 3 November 2012.

This article is to help people understand science fiction movies, by giving definitions to important science fiction terms.  In the article the writer jokingly admits to science fiction being confusing.  HAL 9000 is mentioned in this article with a term called AI which stands for Artificial Intelligence.  Artificial Intelligence is a computer of robot whose processing ability is capable, swift and complex enough to copy the intelligence of human beings.

Prometheus. Dir. Ridley Scott Perf. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Guy Pearce. [2012.]                20th Century Fox, 2012. DVD.

At this part of the movie here is a conversation between the robot David and a crew member.  In this clip it shows David’s artificial intelligence he is a robot but he’s able to hold a conversation with the crew member.  The crew member is being witty with David but David is able to be witty right back showing he’s able to copy human beings.  This also explains how Ash was able to be on the ship in Alien without anyone knowing he was actually a robot.

"Just How Smart are Computers, Anyway?." Website n.d.: n.pag. Web.

7 November 2012.

This is an article from LaGuardia Resources Center.  It mentions 2001 A Space Odyssey also weak AI and strong AI.  It also mentions how computers simply follow rules.  Also the goals of making computers think like human beings but also making them smarter and more efficient.  AI computers even having human remarks such as I’m bored let’s talk about something else.

Clarke, Arthur . "2001: A Space Odyssey; MGM, 1968--based on a story." n.d.: 37. Web.

7 November 2012.

Here is a file from LaGuardia and Wagner Articles.  First it gives you a scenario where you get a device that has AI.  That’ll take care of everything so you can relax all the time.  People will think this is a good idea.  Then the article brings up HAL 9000 from 2001 A Space Odyssey that has AI.  The article then explains how everyone was constantly being watched by HAL.  Taking away the readers sense of security.  Also since HAL went rogue attacking the crew members (turning off pods for crew members in hyper sleep).

Headlam, Bruce. "NEWS WATCH; Software Might Make Users Talk to Computers Politely. ." The New York Times 2 September 1999: 3. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Web. 27 November 2012.

This is an article on that mentions HAL 9000.  Also about how he turned evil during 2001 A Space Odyssey.  The article is from the times and it mentions HAL 9000 being able to read lips.  The article says maybe in a few years computers will know when their owners will pull the plug on them.  The scary part about the article is that it’s from 1999.