Written/Compiled by HOWARD MCQUITTER II
On the horizon–if not even closer–is what has become known as artificial intelligence, or “AI”, is being met by the public in the United States and abroad with various degrees of apprehension and appreciation. At my age of 78, I’ve lived through the marketplace of wonderful technologies, e.g. transistors, satellites, microwave ovens, three-point seat belts, velcro, lasers, VCRs, color televisions, polio vaccines, organ transplants, improvements in remissions for childhood leukemia, computers, cellphones, vaccines for measles and mumps, and more. Now I and the world are faced with the international use of AI from billionaire Bill Gates’ article, “The turbulent AI era is here”. The choices we make now are critical” to Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas translated “Magnificent Humanity” have weighed in on AI. Frankly, I remain a profound skeptic of AI.
Hollywood has depicted AI characters in the movies at least since the 1950s
(if not earlier) as walking, talking, thinking and being able to make bourbon, such as Robby the Robot. On television in the animated series The Jetsons, which debuted 1962), Rosie the Robot was tersely funny and a part of the Jetson family. Perhaps the most famous and fickle AI is HAL 9000 (voice of Douglas Rain) in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey (1968). See the list of some of the movies depicting AI subjects. Perhaps the most famous and fickle AI is HAL 9000 (voice of Douglas Rain) in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey (1968).
1) Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2014)
2) James Cameron’s The Terminator (1984)
3) Lana Wachowski and Lily Wachowski’s The Matrix (1999)
4) Gerald Johnston’s M3GAN (2023)
5) Creators Bill Kelsay and Al Martin’s My Living Doll (1964-1965) (Television)
6) John Badham’s War Games (1983)
7) Donald Cammell’s Demon Seed (1977)
8) Spike Jonze’s Her (2013)
9) Alex Proyas’ I, Robot (2004)
10) Steven Spielberg’s AI. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
11) Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002)
12) Joseph Kosinshi’s Oldivion (2013)
13) Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982)
14) Andrew Stanton’s WALL-E (2008)
15) Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927)
16) Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
17) Caradog W. James’ The Machine (2013)
18) Wally Pfister’s Transcendence (2014)
19) Gabe Ibanez’s Automata (2014)
20) Herman Hoffman’s The Invisible Boy (1957)
Howard McQuitter II is a longtime movie critic. He has been reviewing movies for the alley since 2002.
