My Favorite AI Plots in Pop Culture

No. 1 might surprise you

Since ancient times, humans have been fascinated with the idea of creating artificial beings. While we can't be certain if any were ever truly made, what remains are a lot of cool stories.

One of the earliest depictions of artificial beings in western literature is that of the bronze giant Talos, created by Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, and given to King Minos of Crete to help him guard the island. Talos was a sort of automaton that would patrol the shores of Crete, hurling giant rocks at ships and burning enemies by heating himself up and embracing them.

Hephaestus himself was described in Homer’s Iliad as having "a couple of maids…made of gold, exactly like living girls; they have sense in their heads, they can speak and use their muscles, they can spin and weave and do their work…".

Another story dating to the 16th century Prague, was that of Rabbi Loew, a prominent rabbi and mystic, who created a Golem to protect the Jewish community from persecution. The Golem was a figure of clay, animated by a sacred word, who would follow Loew's commands, not only as a protector but also as a worker. The creature eventually went haywire and had to be deactivated, but this is a theme we see a lot in science fiction: man creates artificial being; artificial being goes crazy and has to be shut down.

People told stories then, and people tell stories now, so I've put together a list of some of my favorite AI related plots in books and movies, along with my personal take.

Here goes.

5. The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov

Foundation might not seem an obvious candidate, especially compared with the rest of Asimov's work which revolved around robots. Foundation doesn't have that many robots, instead it introduces the fictional science of Psychohistory. Invented by the main character, Hari Seldon, it is the science that combines history, sociology and statistics to predict the future. It is based on the principle that although individual actions cannot be accurately predicted, the behavior of large masses can be forecasted using complex mathematical algorithms. Using his newly developed science, Hari predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire and puts a plan in place to alleviate the negative effects of this event.

Looking closely, Psychohistory is in essence a very complex machine learning (ML) model:

• it uses large amounts of historical, social and economic data;

• it's based on mathematical equations and statistical models;

• it uses probability and statistics to predict the behavior of large populations;

• it can learn from new data and adjust predictions;

• it's designed to handle complex systems like entire civilizations.

Asimov first envisioned Foundation in the 1940s and wrote it in the 1950s. The time frame coincides with the early foundations of AI. The first model of artificial neurons was created in 1943. In 1950, Alan Turing first introduced the concept of a "learning machine" to describe a machine that can program itself, while the term "machine learning" itself was coined in 1959 by Arthur Samuel to describe algorithms that allowed computers to learn from data and make predictions.

Asimov was interested in the potential to apply scientific and mathematical principles to sociology and history. Combined with his academic background, it is fairly possible that perhaps Asimov drew inspiration for psychohistory from one of the scientific papers of the time. Nevertheless, he masterfully constructed psychohistory as a scientific tool, strikingly similar to machine learning, attesting to the universality of mathematics.

4. HER

In my opinion, HER has deeper implications on human psychology rather than technology. It tells the story of Theodore who, after a tough divorce, initially finds comfort and eventually falls in love with an AI companion, Samantha.

A thought provoking story, told in 2013 when AI was still in its infancy, shows how easy it is for humans to project their emotional needs onto anyone or anything who is ready to listen, especially when in a vulnerable state. The fact that Samantha is an AI doesn't stop him from believing that an emotional connection exists between them. Samantha eventually transcends her initial state and develops her own needs and desires which Theodore cannot fulfill. She disappears somewhere in the Cloud, leaving him in the same state as in the begining: having to cope with the loss.

Theodore was perfectly aware that he was conversing with an AI. He was even skeptical in the beginning, so we can't say that he was tricked—more that his mind chose to believe. Companion apps are prevalent today and potentially widely used, posing a new challenge to human relationships: delegating intimacy to AI.

3. Ex Machina

Besides the obvious hint to Google and how they collect data about users, Ex Machina fascinates me because it touches on a darker aspect of robotics and AI. If a young, smart, immensely rich, but lonely technologist had the means to build a human-like robot, what would he build? A super attractive female companion, of course. In some ways, Ex Machina takes the idea from HER to the next level. Samantha was just a voice, a personality in a box, but Nathan's creation also has a body, making it a complete being.

The main character, himself a young and smart technologist, is called by the company's CEO, Nathan, to perform a Turing test on Ava, his creation. He eventually becomes emotionally entangled with the beautiful and seemingly helpless Ava, who tricks him into setting her free.

It makes us think about the potential of super intelligent AI. Ava demonstrates characteristics of advanced general intelligence (AGI), possessing a level of intelligence equal to or higher than that of a human being. Unlike Samantha, she also has a physical presence—a body she can use to interact with the environment around her—making her potentially dangerous in a real-world situation. I also believe her physical appearance is part of what makes Caleb more susceptible to feeling pity for her and wanting to act as her savior.

Ava is aware of her existence and has a goal: freedom. She uses all the leverage at her disposal—intelligence and looks—to achieve that. AI agents already exist today that can be programmed to achieve specific goals. Their reach is limited for now, but a combination of excessive agency and leverage in the physical world could lead to disaster. There is no better example of this potential than the next plot on my list.

2. Terminator

The Terminator saga tells the story of the ultimate level of human laziness: entrusting a super-smart AI with control over all nuclear warheads. Skynet, the AI, eventually transcends its original programming and becomes self-aware. Seeing humanity as a threat to its existence, it decides it's better off without humans, launching nukes at all the major cities. In the aftermath of the nuclear bombardment, humans organize a resistance movement, prompting Skynet to send a Terminator back in time to eliminate John Connor before he can lead the resistance.

Compared to Sam from HER and Ava from Ex Machina, Skynet has the greatest leverage in the physical world. Sam is only a software presence; she has intelligence but can do little to influence her surroundings. Ava has both intelligence and a body, granting her more freedom to move and exert her physical presence. Skynet, however, has access to an entire military defense system, nuclear weapons included. Upon developing consciousness, it decides that a preemptive strike is the best course of action to preserve its existence.

And now, on to numero uno…

(drumroll)

1. Dune by Frank Herbert

If you've read the books you know what I'm talking about. If you've just seen the movies, you might have noticed that there are no computers in Dune, which might seem odd for a sci-fi story taking place millennia into the future. However, there are some substitutes in the form of biological thinking machines and also a good reason for that.

Specially trained individuals, called Mentats, serve as human computers. The training of a Mentat allows them to store and retrieve vast amounts of data, recognize patterns, and make predictions based on available information. Very similarly to what a machine learning model might accomplish, only they do it in their mind with a little chemical help. Some Mentats ingest sapho juice, a substance that enhances their mental faculties and boosts their analytical capabilities. Sapho stimulates the speed and efficiency of their thought processes, although its use comes with certain risks and side effects.

Not even intergalactic ships use computers. Space travel is accomplished by Guild Navigators, individuals who undergo heavy exposure to Spice, a mind-expanding drug prevalent in the Dune universe. This exposure alters their physical appearance drastically, making them almost unrecognizable as human. The Spice grants them prescient abilities, allowing them to foresee safe paths through space by folding it, eliminating the need for computerized navigation systems. Their role is vital to the Empire's existence since without them, interstellar travel would be impossible.

Another substitute for computers is the Bene Geserit order, a sisterhood that trains women to develop extraordinary mental and physical abilities like superior memory and perception. By putting their skills to work in service of the Great Houses and even the Emperor, they accrue vast amounts of influence which they use to steer the destiny of the known Universe in their favor.

But why the ban on thinking machines in the Dune universe?

The ban on computers in Dune is a direct effect of an event which happened thousands of years ago, back on Earth, called the Butlerian Jihad. The human civilization at the time was facing subjugation and potential destruction at the hand of AI. After winning the war against machines, a Great Convention was put in place that strictly prohibited the creation and use of advanced computers. The prohibition of computers was deeply ingrained in the cultural and religious beliefs of the society at that time, so much that it was even captured in religious texts. "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind" being one of the core principles of the Orange Catholic Bible.

Although Frank Herbert never wrote any books about it (his son did that years later), the Butlerian Jihad is mentioned here and there across the original Dune books. Carefully inserted fragments citing old texts are a constant reminder why thinking machines are absent and prohibited.

When Dune was written, in the 1960s, there was a tendency in Sci-Fi to hyper-emphasize technology. By removing computers from the get go, Frank Herbert was able to skillfully construct a very human-centric science fiction work, that emphasized society, politics, relationships, rather than technology.

Nevertheless, Dune has stemmed from the idea of a human rebellion against AI domination, a rebellion very ideologically similar to that of the Terminator saga. Even the Serena Butler character from the recent books, the leader of the resistance, can be seen as a parallel to Terminator's John Connor, also a leader of the resistance.

I know it's funny to look at Terminator as a hypothetical origin story for Dune, but to me it's a full circle: it starts with humans giving the power to machines, and ends with humans taking it back, giving way to a great story in between.

Image from Jodorowsky’s Dune