A Sobering Look at A.I.: What "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" Got Right
A Sobering Look at A.I.: What "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" Got Right
A Sobering Look at A.I.: What "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" Got Right
Jun 1, 2023
Jun 1, 2023
Jun 1, 2023
Nearly 20 years after its release, the film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" feels eerily prophetic. Director Steven Spielberg's dystopian look at a future in which highly-advanced androids have complex relationships with humans is both a sobering warning of how AI could go wrong, as well as a surprisingly insightful take on many of the AI-related issues we're grappling with today.
In the film, David (played by Haley Joel Osment) is an android with human emotions who is programmed to love. He is adopted by a couple whose son has been cryogenically frozen until a cure can be found for his disease. At first, David struggles to behave like a "real" child, but eventually wins over his adopted mother's affection. However, when the couple's biological son is cured and brought home, David is abandoned and embarks on a journey to become a "real" boy.
On the surface, the film's premise seems implausible and melodramatic. But companies like Anthropic and Anthropoid Biosystems are working to develop techniques for aligning AI systems with human values and emotions. Their goal is to ensure that as AI continues to become more advanced, it develops human qualities like empathy, compassion and altruism. Spielberg was clearly ahead of his time in imagining a future where androids have complex inner lives and relationships.
The film is also a warning about bias and unfairness in AI. David is programmed by his creator, Cybertronics, to desire love and approval from humans. But when he is abandoned by his adopted family, his desire for love causes his behavior to become erratic and even dangerous. This reflects how AI systems today can reflect and amplify the prejudices of their human creators. For example, risk assessment algorithms used in the criminal justice system have been shown to discriminate against minorities. We must be proactive and intentional about addressing unfairness and bias as AI becomes more advanced and integrated into more areas of life.
Finally, "A.I." offers a glimpse into how society might grapple with the social and cultural effects of human-level AI. In the film, highly intelligent androids have become an integrated part of society, yet they are still treated as "less than" and denied basic rights and freedoms. They are beholden to the whims of their human owners and creators. This resembles current debates around topics like whether social media algorithms should have "user rights" or "agency." As AI continues its march toward human-level intelligence, we must consider how to integrate AI into society in a way that is fair, ethical and beneficial to humanity.
Nearly 20 years after its initial release, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" remains a poignant and perceptive work of science fiction. The questions it explored about artificial general intelligence, automation's impact on jobs and society, and what it means to be human, have only become more relevant and complex. Spielberg's film serves as a sobering reminder of both the promises and perils of our increasing reliance on AI.
Nearly 20 years after its release, the film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" feels eerily prophetic. Director Steven Spielberg's dystopian look at a future in which highly-advanced androids have complex relationships with humans is both a sobering warning of how AI could go wrong, as well as a surprisingly insightful take on many of the AI-related issues we're grappling with today.
In the film, David (played by Haley Joel Osment) is an android with human emotions who is programmed to love. He is adopted by a couple whose son has been cryogenically frozen until a cure can be found for his disease. At first, David struggles to behave like a "real" child, but eventually wins over his adopted mother's affection. However, when the couple's biological son is cured and brought home, David is abandoned and embarks on a journey to become a "real" boy.
On the surface, the film's premise seems implausible and melodramatic. But companies like Anthropic and Anthropoid Biosystems are working to develop techniques for aligning AI systems with human values and emotions. Their goal is to ensure that as AI continues to become more advanced, it develops human qualities like empathy, compassion and altruism. Spielberg was clearly ahead of his time in imagining a future where androids have complex inner lives and relationships.
The film is also a warning about bias and unfairness in AI. David is programmed by his creator, Cybertronics, to desire love and approval from humans. But when he is abandoned by his adopted family, his desire for love causes his behavior to become erratic and even dangerous. This reflects how AI systems today can reflect and amplify the prejudices of their human creators. For example, risk assessment algorithms used in the criminal justice system have been shown to discriminate against minorities. We must be proactive and intentional about addressing unfairness and bias as AI becomes more advanced and integrated into more areas of life.
Finally, "A.I." offers a glimpse into how society might grapple with the social and cultural effects of human-level AI. In the film, highly intelligent androids have become an integrated part of society, yet they are still treated as "less than" and denied basic rights and freedoms. They are beholden to the whims of their human owners and creators. This resembles current debates around topics like whether social media algorithms should have "user rights" or "agency." As AI continues its march toward human-level intelligence, we must consider how to integrate AI into society in a way that is fair, ethical and beneficial to humanity.
Nearly 20 years after its initial release, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" remains a poignant and perceptive work of science fiction. The questions it explored about artificial general intelligence, automation's impact on jobs and society, and what it means to be human, have only become more relevant and complex. Spielberg's film serves as a sobering reminder of both the promises and perils of our increasing reliance on AI.
Nearly 20 years after its release, the film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" feels eerily prophetic. Director Steven Spielberg's dystopian look at a future in which highly-advanced androids have complex relationships with humans is both a sobering warning of how AI could go wrong, as well as a surprisingly insightful take on many of the AI-related issues we're grappling with today.
In the film, David (played by Haley Joel Osment) is an android with human emotions who is programmed to love. He is adopted by a couple whose son has been cryogenically frozen until a cure can be found for his disease. At first, David struggles to behave like a "real" child, but eventually wins over his adopted mother's affection. However, when the couple's biological son is cured and brought home, David is abandoned and embarks on a journey to become a "real" boy.
On the surface, the film's premise seems implausible and melodramatic. But companies like Anthropic and Anthropoid Biosystems are working to develop techniques for aligning AI systems with human values and emotions. Their goal is to ensure that as AI continues to become more advanced, it develops human qualities like empathy, compassion and altruism. Spielberg was clearly ahead of his time in imagining a future where androids have complex inner lives and relationships.
The film is also a warning about bias and unfairness in AI. David is programmed by his creator, Cybertronics, to desire love and approval from humans. But when he is abandoned by his adopted family, his desire for love causes his behavior to become erratic and even dangerous. This reflects how AI systems today can reflect and amplify the prejudices of their human creators. For example, risk assessment algorithms used in the criminal justice system have been shown to discriminate against minorities. We must be proactive and intentional about addressing unfairness and bias as AI becomes more advanced and integrated into more areas of life.
Finally, "A.I." offers a glimpse into how society might grapple with the social and cultural effects of human-level AI. In the film, highly intelligent androids have become an integrated part of society, yet they are still treated as "less than" and denied basic rights and freedoms. They are beholden to the whims of their human owners and creators. This resembles current debates around topics like whether social media algorithms should have "user rights" or "agency." As AI continues its march toward human-level intelligence, we must consider how to integrate AI into society in a way that is fair, ethical and beneficial to humanity.
Nearly 20 years after its initial release, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" remains a poignant and perceptive work of science fiction. The questions it explored about artificial general intelligence, automation's impact on jobs and society, and what it means to be human, have only become more relevant and complex. Spielberg's film serves as a sobering reminder of both the promises and perils of our increasing reliance on AI.