Artificial intelligence in the cinema. What is worth watching?

Artificial intelligence has always been a key point in futurologists discussions debating the future of the world. It is also a popular topic in the cinema, where directors present ideas showing the effects of AI on human civilization. But before we dive into filmmakers’ dark or melancholy visions of artificial intelligence and focus on AI movies, it is worth remembering that the current AI achievements are already widespread and used in the latest technologies and in the industry. Artificial intelligence has been successfully used in machine learning, for instance in speech or image recognition (check out the capabilities of this machine: https://quickdraw.withgoogle.com/) and at the stock market where currently most of the processes of purchase and sale of shares are is carried out automatically.

In the discussion about the AI, it is worth stopping at the hypothesis related to weak and strong artificial intelligence. This concept of the weak artificial intelligence entails the systems capable of solving problems and making decisions having taken into account all components of the real world. Strong artificial intelligence, on the other hand, implies developing a system equipped with a mind and capable of thinking like a human. This hypothesis is promoted by Ray Kurzweil, a well American scientist and futurologist. According to Kurzweil, artificial general intelligence is going to appear as early as in 2029 and then, evolve into a technological singularity, which will go beyond human intelligence. Such an advanced artificial intelligence can, in turn, create even more perfect AI, thus leading to radical changes in technology. This scenario is also associated with potential threats that could have a negative impact on our civilization. Of course, it is still only speculation shared by few futurologists. If, however, you are interested in artificial intelligence and would like to see how the world might look like after the invention of the machine thinking like a human being, check out the following AI movies 🙂

Ex Machina

The film uses minimalist stage design, with sparse dialogue and no unnecessary technological drama. It touches upon issues of artificial intelligence and related dangers. The film presents the relationship between a human and a machine, and the Turing test in the background which is to verify whether or not the project aiming at creating artificial intelligence was a success. The film doses emotions perfectly, keeps quick pace, showing the audience exactly as much as needed for suspense and anxiety. “Ex Machina” is simply a great thriller which will leave you with a number of unanswered questions.

Blade Runner

This is undoubtedly a sci-fi classic and one of the best AI movies, representing a fairly grim vision of the future of our civilization with people hypnotized by giant billboards and lost in their shaky humanity. The film takes place in Los Angeles, in not such distant future – in 2019. Androids have already been invented, smart and robust robots that are very similar to humans. These machines, living up to four years, are treated as inferior and are exploited – they do slave labour in the colonies in outer space. Not all androids are prepared to come to terms with their predicament and, when a group of robots rebel against the system, Blade Runner, a hunter – played by Harrison Ford – is commissioned to eliminate them. In Ridley Scott’s movie it is very difficult to distinguish from ordinary people, so their ruthless eradication is even more frightening . Of course, in the case of androids there is no issue of murdering because they are just machines…

In the film quite clearly the boundary between what is human and what is artificial becomes blurred. Androids, just likes people, have their philosophical dilemmas, a touching desire to survive which is essentially not very different from the human will to live. This is a must for all fans of sci-fi and ai movies, worth watching as soon as possible because as early as this year there will be a sequel – “Blade Runner 2049,” directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.

Her

In this film, technology does not play a major role, nor do issues of consequences brought about by the development of the AI. “Her” is basically a film about loneliness. The need to create a close relationship with another person never fades. Not even in a stressed society where the cell phone is the main mean of communication. In the film, operating system “OS1” becomes this other person, more specifically, artificial intelligence named Samantha, capable of spontaneous development. Perhaps for those who have not seen the movie, the description may seem absurd. However, in Spike Jonze’s film it is not about love affair with the operating system. Dialogue between the main character in love and Samantha is sincere and natural. Samantha, though not physically present on the screen, thanks to Scarlett Johansson’s perfect voice, becomes a full-fledged character. “Her” is a very convincing affair with artificial intelligence in the lead role, which shows love as it is like – flirtatious, talking all night, with intimate experiences and misunderstandings.

Artificial intelligence arouses extreme emotions, highlighted by fast development of new technologies and scenarios depicting the future created by influential futurists (such as the already mentioned Ray Kurzwail), in which the rise of a technological singularity is envisaged to happen the first half of the twenty-first century. The subject of AI tempts filmmakers who try to find answers to such questions as how the development of artificial intelligence may impact us and whether humanity will be able to co-exist with it. Though it is still quite a foreign reality, it is getting closer. And, contrary to what most of the AI movies have suggested, the AI future may nor necessary be bleak and pessimistic.

The author of the article is Joanna Wójciak – Marketing Manager at Apollogic.