The Unexpected A.I.
Written by John Ink2Quill
www.ink2quill.com

We all have our ideas what A.I. should be like, what it should develop into, and how it should be of service to us. We also have an idea of being overshadowed and consumed by A.I. The scifi genre is in a sinister phase where most depictions of A.I. are of dystopian worlds. Those ideas are so well told in the works of writers from the time of Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells and Jules Verne to Philip K. Dick, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Kazuo Ishiguro and so many others. Films like “Blade Runner”, “1984” and “Never Let Me Go” are just some of the adaptations of those great works but there are so many more. Helas. I hate to leave out Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale” in this list of greats. The dystopian genre is in its hay day now and really all most people get to see.

It’s understandably disturbing to see how some technologies in the world are used against people and nature so these stories will continue to have relevance and masterful writers will continue to keep a tight grip on us when they weave their tales. The harmful way emerging genetic technologies can be used are so well described by Mary Shelley’s Monster, (even though the technology in the story is Galvanism), or Kazuo Ishiguro’s clone (people) harvesting scheme are horrific. What makes them even more horrific is that the people stuck inside such systems have no way of getting out. Think of George Orwell’s character of Winston. He drops us, the reader, hints over and over again that there is no getting out of the system alive and that there is no changing the system. That is a truly horrifying thought.

What about stories where A.I. are not the villains are henchmen to the villains? And I don’t mean fairy tales or young adult literature either. What are the positive examples of a society that is dystopian in other ways than through emerging technologies?

I can think of one. What about TV series and movies like “Star Trek” where people use technology to solve problems and protect them from the harshness of space and the universe? That is some classic story telling.

Space comedies like “Red Dwarf” are another example of a not so negative view of A.I. and how emerging technologies will work in a story. That is one incredibly dopy show that had me and a friend laughing hard. In this comedy the technology is as silly as the main character. It really works.

One movie that crosses back and forth the line of bad technology and good technology is the 2004 film of “I, Robot” with Wil Smith. This story has times when the technology is very helpful and other times when it is a threat. However, all of the bad things the technology does seemed to be triggered by people. (Like the slavery theme of droids). Either way, this is a very good, mildly comedy story that is definitely worth the watch.

Here are some ideas for a failing Hollywood. How about a story with an A.I. detective that does a really good job and with the intellect and resourcefulness of Sherlock Holmes and the unassuming manner of the 1970s Columbo? That idea sounds like a winner.

Or what about a sci-fi series about space exploration which is a topic that will never be boring if it’s done right. Make the explorers only find out later that most of them are artificially created. Have them find out when certain members of the crew could not have children with each other and them initially chalking it up to a phenomenon called “space infertility” or something. How would you deal with exploration and day to day living in such conditions, especially when so many of the families are blended? Think about it.

I have tons of such ideas. I really do. So let’s start seeing stories where technology lives and works alongside people. And give me call for story ideas. Like I said I have tons and tons.

Written John Ink2Quill

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