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The idea of the fusion of man and machine always inspires science fiction writers. Take the mind of man, but strengthen his weak flesh with iron. Why, the ancient myth of Lev and the Golem is just such a fantastic work.
You can take a little iron and make a person stronger. You can take a lot of iron and make a man a monster. You can “fix” a broken human body. You can simply create artificial intelligence in any suitable body. Let’s see how this range of possibilities was revealed by the directors of famous films.
10 Pacific Rim (2013)
The plot of the struggle with something terrible and terrible is not new. Usually a person manages to either deceive the monster, luring him into a trap (“Jurassic Park”), or there is a “piano in the bushes” (a harmless disease, fatal to outsiders – “War of the Worlds”).
What if you have to fight monsters? Let’s create huge fighting humanoid robots. True, people will still manage these iron monsters. This is exactly what the authors of “Frontier” did – the main characters bravely fight inside colossal upright, brainless machines. The authors limited themselves to a modest version of a terrible power suit, leaving a person with all the possibilities to do stupid things.
9. Terminator (1984)
The opposite situation: frankly stupid piece of iron, neatly disguised as a person, is engaged in nonsense. Of course, this is our favorite Terminator saga with the unrivaled Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Classics of the genre. Here we can observe the problems of becoming a “dumb piece of iron” a full-fledged (though not human) personality.
8. Living Steel (2011)
The humanoid mechanism is still unintelligent, possessing only the minimum necessary instincts and reflexes. The basic program of behavior allows him at least not to fall. The essence of the action and the direction of work is set by the operator – a completely rational alignment.
How much can human consciousness give to a “clockwork toy”? It seems like a lot. The toy is self-learning.
7. Avatar (2009)
A situation may arise in which telecontrol will have to be carried out in literally “inhuman” conditions. It seems quite reasonable to think that the basis of a cybernetic organism will be a biological copy of something endemic to these conditions. For example, an organism that is biologically identical to a native.
Poul Anderson’s original story, written in 1968, makes the sound point that the necessary adaptation of the mind to a non-human body is unlikely to be available to a fully formed human. It’s better to pick a disabled person. It would be nice to be legless. And even better – a legless deaf-blind-mute.
The creators of the famous film did not bother with scientific refinements, and made the main character “only” an invalid. But the problem has remained: the consciousness may not want to return to the human stump.
6. The Surrogate (2009)
The authors of the swashbuckling action movie (based on comics) developed the idea further: remote control of an artificial body may turn out to be not only a necessity, but also a simple convenience. Sit in your chair and sip nourishing juice while your other body “out there” runs around with armfuls of pizza or works hard in a quarry.
There is a temptation: bodies can be changed! They can be framed in crime, through them one can indulge in suicidal debauchery. Very tempting! It turns out a terrible kind of mass drug.
5. Universal Soldier (1992)
The fertile theme of the duel “more machine than man” with “I’m-still-human, no matter what you do to me.” Classic action movie starring Dolph Lungren and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
The human, of course, will win. But this action movie, for all its primitiveness, contains the psychological details that interest us.
4. Robocop (1987)
Here is also an interesting problem: will a creature that has been forced to lose a significant part of its biological body still feel like a human being?
A non-wearing body provides new opportunities, it is not only useful, but sometimes even pleasant. But the attitude of others, to put it mildly, is strange. You’re not quite human anymore. You are still the same “shirt-guy” in the service, but they will no longer invite you to the bar after duty.
Yes, it would be all the same, but in addition to colleagues in “that life” there were loved ones. Can they accept a “non-human” into their circle? Wouldn’t it be better to forget everything yourself and “mechanize” the mind with your own hands, forgetting with all your might the remnants of everything human?
3. I, Robot (2004)
Robots can be very useful in all parts of the human being. But if they are developed enough to perform independent actions, there is a danger of their excessive independence. Isaac Asimov, contemplating the threat, formulated his famous “Three Laws of Robotics”.
One of the provisions is to protect a person from his own mistakes, which can be dangerous. But a sufficiently developed artificial intelligence may well realize that the greatest danger to itself is the person himself. The First Law is somewhat modified, and…
2. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
If an android robot is made of sufficient quality, and its mind is quite perfect to imitate a human one, it can even replace a person for some time. At least outwardly. For example, to replace a terminally ill and awaiting treatment child in his family in his family.
In principle, the substitution is successful, everyone is quite happy. But the “original” recovers, and as part of the rivalry leads to the expulsion of the “ersatz” from his family. Has anyone thought – what if an android can experience feelings, thoughts, emotions? To fall in love with people whom he sincerely considers “parents”?
1. 200 year old man (1999)
Finally, the logical development of the idea of artificial intelligence realizing its “I”. A charming and poignantly sad film with “sad comedian” Robin Williams perfect for the title role.
The servant robot was unlucky: an artificial “brain” was accidentally released on the production line with a small but completely illegal defect – the ability to self-learn went beyond the standard framework of “learning how to properly hold a rake”. He learned to compare his own actions with the actions of people at the level of abstractions.
“Dumb Iron” came to the logical conclusion that the superiority of people lies in their imperfection: the ability to make mistakes, get sick, grow old and die. What can such thoughts lead a robot to in a world where technology allows almost everything? He begins to make himself “more perfect”, gradually replacing fail-safe parts with fragile bioprostheses. The final step is to introduce a little madness. The ability to make mistakes. Finally, the miracle of natural death.