Yesterday, IBM’s supercomputer named Watson (after IBM’s first CEO Thomas J. Watson), began its 3-day appearance on Jeopardy in an attempt to challenge and beat Jeopardy champs Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Ken, the Jeopardy record holder for most consecutive games won with 74 and Brad, the record holder for most prize money won with $3.5 million, are formidable foes in what is being billed as the ultimate battle of man vs. machine.
Now I know what you’re thinking: how can a human brain compete with a computer, whose brain can compute billions of calculations per second? While this is a valid concern because Watson can compute, formulate, and solve numeric puzzles lightning quick, the super-computer doesn’t have a complete grasp of the English language, nor can it understand puns and double meanings the way humans do. This presents a major challenge if you’re trying to win Jeopardy. It took the IBM team 4 years to get Watson to compete at a competent level. Since a true attempt to replicate the human brain has never been tried, little less accomplished, this could mark a monumental achievement: this could truly be the smartest machine on Earth.
After watching last night’s round 1 of this 3-round match up, I’d say Watson performed admirably. Tied atop the leader board with Brad Rutter at $5,000 a piece, Watson looks to finish off its opponents by Wednesday. At its conclusion, IBM promises to disassemble Watson for parts — you know, before it destroys the human race. I say this jokingly, of course, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be weary of machines with the potential to become self-aware.
Here are 11 cinematic examples wherein humans tried to give machines artificial intelligence, complete with human traits and feelings, which all churned out unexpected (and sometimes even deadly) results.
Sam Bell’s (Sam Rockwell) three-year contract with Lunar Industries to harvest and ship helium-3 back to earth is near its end. His only direct real-time communication is with an intelligent computer named GERTY, whose basic function is to serve his every need. Is three years far too long to be isolated? Check out this excellent film to find out. Terribly underrated movie and Sam Rockwell’s best work.
Hero cop Murphy Brown is reincarnated into a super crime-fighting machine in order to save his life, or what’s left of it. Haunted by the memories of his gruesome murder and dreams of his past life, Robocop must uncover a web of a murder conspiracy of the highest level. Robocop’s battle with fellow machine and evildoer ED-209 is always a crowd pleaser.
A Strategic Artificially Intelligent Nuclear Transport 5, or SAINT Number 5 has a short circuit while recharging, causes the robot to become self-aware with the ability to control his own actions. Soon taking the name Johnny 5. With an appreciation for life, Johnny 5 must avoid a fate worse than death, disassembly. Like the Karate Kid, this movie is a 1980s classic.
Wall-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Litter- Earth Class, is one of many trash compacting robots in charge of cleaning up the endless amount of trash left on Earth. Soon after humans have left Earth for space, Wall-E performs the tasks assigned to his kind. Soon after meeting Eve, a probe robot searching for plant life, they embark on a journey to save mankind. Makes my list of top 10 animated movies, easily.
200-year-old family robot named Andrew (Robin Williams) is as dependable as they come. Performing menial household tasks as a domestic servant always appealed to him. As the years go by and his owners start to grow old and pass on, Andrew begins to experience human feelings and creative thought, to the amazement of his family and friends. Now Andrew wants to be legally recognized as a citizen like his human counterparts, even if he has to wait until the end of time. Robin Williams truly knows drama.
The Island (2005)
Kept on Earth in a Utopian Society as a form of slaves, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) uncovers the truth behind the beautiful façade. Here, computers control what they eat, how they learn, and how they make a living. Their only escape is to win the lottery and be sent away to a non-contaminated place called “The Island.” This movie got a bad rap here in the states. I don’t know why, because it’s purely entertaining.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
A highly advanced and child-like android named David (Haley Joel Osment) decides that in order to win his human mother’s affection he must become a real boy. On his quest he encounters many dangers, one of which includes robot-hating humans who actively seek and destroy his kind out of fear and amusement. His unwavering desire to become a human boy draws similarities to the story of Pinocchio, both epically told. Since Stanley Kubrick never got around to making this movie, Steven Spielberg dedicated this to him after his death in 1999. With great imagery and excellent CGI, it’s a fitting tribute.
While investigating the apparent suicide of a renowned robot designer, a robo-phobic police detective (Will Smith) teams with a robo-psychologist and a prototype robot with human emotions to thwart a worldwide robot revolution designed to overthrow human rule. With a great story and superb special effects, try to go Blu-Ray on this one.
While investigating the appearance of mysterious monoliths throughout the universe, astronauts David (Keir Dullea) and Frank (Gary Lockwood) battle their ship’s intelligent computer, HAL-9000. Stanley Kubrick’s quiet masterpiece probes the mysteries of space and human destiny. It’s kind of long, but if you sit through it, it totally pays off.
In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the “Terminator” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to 1984 to snuff Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Like you, T2 was my favorite. Still, watch the first one again: it’s ahead of its time.
The Matrix is the Wachowskis’ futuristic action film about computer hacker, Neo, who joins rebel warriors Morpheus and Trinity to fight against robots that have created an elaborate facade of Earth called “The Matrix.” Neo learns that life on Earth is an illusion created by malevolent cyber-intelligence, for the purpose of placating humans so they can be “farmed” to fuel the Matrix’s campaign. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then this is a perfect example. I’m not a fan of all three movies, but this first one is just excellent.
Robots, Drones, and Cylons are all the same; they always seem to think they know what’s best for us humans. But we created the damn things. That said, I am totally rooting for Watson to win out on Jeopardy and in doing so, providing one giant leap for machine-kind. Have a favorite man vs. machine movie? Will you see Watson compete on Jeopardy? Upload me a comment.
