Trust me - I'm a robot

The Hollywood androids are a flawed version of creatures that want to be human. Real researchers in the field of artificial intelligence focus on something completely different..

Gregory Moon

Here's something that engineers designing the next generation of unmanned fighter jets didn't take into account: an accidental lightning strike could hit the right places, change the structure of the plane's artificial brain and turn it into an enemy of the state that would destroy a major city. Sound ridiculous? Maybe. A good subject for a thriller? Undoubtedly: this is the idea behind the movie "Stealth", in which a fighter jet with artificial intelligence changes its skin.
In recent years, we have seen a massive return of the subject of artificial intelligence to the cinema screens, but in Hollywood they are not so innovative on the subject. The movie "Artificial Intelligence" (2001) was based on a 30-year-old short story by Brian Aldis. "The Man of the Century" (1999) and "I, Robot" (2004) grew out of old stories by Isaac Asimov. And the artificial intelligence of "Stealth" is a remake of the supercomputer 9000 from Space Odyssey - only with less personality and fewer missiles.
I understand that the man versus machine thing is good inspiration for thrillers. And also that the filmmakers adopt stories about human robots that can do everything... except love. I can understand the little tear coming from the robotic eye, but I don't sympathize so much with the lack of realism in the way these movies inflate expectations and make current progress look ridiculous. For example: the big robotic car race held last year by DARPA. The event took place three years after the Hal 9000 was supposed to wipe out astronauts on their way to Jupiter, so I expected to see little more than a few vehicles scurrying for miles on unpaved terrain before breaking down or being destroyed. I didn't just want to see the winner cross the finish line, but also to see him stand on his rear wheels, bow, and say something along the lines of: "I would like to thank all the great people. Without their help I would not have been able to get here..."

iRobot - another robot that lost control

In the past, high expectations have slowed real-world research. The glory days of artificial intelligence research in the XNUMXs happened thanks to the science fiction vision in books and movies, thanks to the prophecies of the first pioneers, and also to some extent thanks to the competition from the Japanese. After it became clear that the research could not produce anything resembling robot guns, funding ran out and a period known as the AI ​​Ice Age began. It is not clear if the deadlock actually delayed the process - or if it allowed the researchers to hide from the spotlight and focus on their efforts to achieve real progress. Anyway, technology is back and it's now flooding our spam filters and gaming machines. But it doesn't happen in the form of do-it-all minds that Hollywood likes. Today's artificial intelligence guides tasks - "niche intelligence", such as a project designed to make sure that the elderly actually take their medication, and instructs them to take a pill if they haven't done so in time.

Of course, not everyone will be convinced that such a narrow ability is the ultimate future of artificial intelligence. Many researchers still believe in a humanoid robot, and if we ever reach such a capability, the movies have already provided us with plenty of warnings about them. For example, fathers will have to be doubly careful when bringing robots into their home. In the movie "The Man of the Centuries", unsuspecting parents purchase a home robot to perform household tasks, and discover that their daughter has fallen in love with it. This is an unsettling aspect, but Gigolo Joe, the male robotic whore played by Jude Law in AI, is even more terrifying. Behind the superior physical allure, the robot is programmed to always say the right thing. It's hard to compete with that. Another rule is to always check your smart robot and try to spot killer trends. A good feature that can betray this is the voice. If this sounds like the god from the Odyssey - then either his batteries are about to run out or he is bent on evil. And if "stealth" is evidence of what will happen in the future, you shouldn't give your smart robots too many weapons.
My suggestion: stop wondering when you'll have a cheap, smart robotic servant that can make you coffee, and start appreciating your spam filter and its more domestic intelligence. Today he still won't be able to answer you, but from my experience in movies I can tell you that one day he will still be able to do so.