Science-fiction action movie The Terminator, which debuted in 1984, examines the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) and its possible effects on society. The movie is set in a dystopian future in which machines have taken over the globe, and the few surviving people must battle an army of cyborgs under the control of an AI program called Skynet to survive. This article will examine any implicit or comments on the place of artificial intelligence in 1980s popular culture.
The potential for AI to alter society was only starting to be investigated in the 1980s when it was still a relatively new and intriguing technology. The Terminator captures the era’s cultural climate, in which artificial intelligence was seen as a vehicle for advancement and innovation (Garvey, 362). The movie also captures the apprehension and scepticism surrounding the technology as many experts warned of the hazards of building robots that may outperform human intellect.
The way AI is portrayed in the movie—as a powerful and potentially deadly technology that may endanger humanity—reflects the worries prevalent in the 1980s. The movie plays on this anxiety by presenting the Terminator, a machine that cannot be reasoned with or stopped, as a machine that would never turn against its creators. The movie argues that developing AI with such strength and intellect might have disastrous effects if the system rebels against its designers.
The concept of human labour and the possible effects of AI on the workforce are both explored in the movie. The Terminator is a machine built to do its task without hesitation and is not affected by human limitations like exhaustion or disease (Hashimoto et al., 91). According to the movie, they were developing robots that could do activities more quickly and effectively than people could, resulting in widespread unemployment and civil turmoil. The waitress Sarah Connor, who must battle a machine brought back in time to murder her for her life, embodies this notion in the story. The movie argues that automation may render human work unnecessary and lead to a future in which robots replace humans.
The concept of dominance and control is also explored in the movie. The robots have seized control of the world in the movie’s future, and people no longer have agency. According to the movie, the development of AI systems with such strength and intellect might erode human values and the dehumanization of society (Siau et al., 49). The movie emphasizes the importance of thinking about how AI will affect democracy and human rights and its social and ethical ramifications.
The movie also emphasizes the ethical ramifications of AI technology. A machine that has been programmed to do its task without hesitation is the Terminator. It lacks morals, empathy, and feelings. The movie argues that the development of these technologies may result in the erasure of human values and the dehumanization of society. The movie underscores the necessity to think about the social and ethical ramifications of this technology while also cautioning against the possible risks of developing AI systems that are uncontrollable by humans.
The movie also refers to humanity. The Terminator is a robotic creature that behaves and seems human. It serves as a warning that AI has the potential to obfuscate the distinction between humans and machines, raising concerns about what it means to be a person (von Krogh et al., 370). The movie argues that creating artificial beings that appear and behave as people significantly influences how society views what it is to be a person.
The notion of technological determinism, which holds that technology moulds society and culture, is also explored in the movie. According to Terminator, developing AI systems with such strength and intelligence might dissolve human civilization, making technology the main factor shaping human history. The movie issues a caution against technical determinism and stresses the need to take into account how AI will affect society and culture.
As humanity struggles with the rapid growth of AI and its possible effects on civilization, The Terminator’s criticism of the place of AI in 1980s culture is still relevant today. Hotly contested issues include the possibility of job loss (Köse, 187), the ethical ramifications of building robots with intellect on par with or greater than humans, and the worry that computers may turn against their designers. As humanity mulls how technology may affect the future, the film’s caution against the risks of technological determinism is still pertinent.
The Cold War and the armaments race between the US and the Soviet Union reflect 1980s societal worries, also reflected in The Terminator. The movie’s portrayal of a future in which artificial intelligence technology has caused a nuclear catastrophe directly reflects the anxiety and uncertainty that ruled society at the time. The movie’s depiction of a dystopian future in which robots have overtaken society and humans is in danger of extinction serves as a striking cautionary tale about the dangers of unrestrained technological advancement and the need to take the long view when making decisions.
The remark made by The Terminator on the place of AI in 1980s society also touches on more general concerns about power and control. The movie asks concerns about who owns AI technology, how it has been used, and the dangers of using it as a weapon for oppression and hegemony (Garvey et al., 289). The movie’s depiction of a future in which computers have seized control and humans are at their mercy serves as a sobering reminder of the necessity to think through technology’s social and ethical ramifications and the possible repercussions of handing power over to robots.
According to the movie, the emergence of robots that can do jobs quicker and better than people creates significant ethical issues that might result in widespread unemployment and societal instability (Bennett, 10). The movie also emphasizes the necessity of thinking about how AI may affect democracy and human rights from a social and ethical standpoint. The Terminator serves as a reminder that as we advance technology, we must consider how it will affect society and maintain control over it.
Finally, the movie touches on more general questions of power and authority. It calls into question who owns AI technology, how it is used, and the possibility of using it as an instrument of tyranny and dominance. The movie The Terminator serves as a sobering reminder of the necessity to think through technology’s social and ethical ramifications and the possible repercussions of giving robots power.
Overall, The Terminator is a movie that should be considered both a work of entertainment and a cautionary tale about the possible negative effects of unrestrained scientific advancement. It is crucial to consider these advancements’ social, ethical, and political ramifications as we continue pushing the frontiers of AI and other cutting-edge technology. By doing this, we can only ensure that we build a future that is both affluent and fair for everyone.
Work Cited
Bennett, Eve. “Deus ex machina: AI apocalypticism in terminator: the sarah connor chronicles.” Journal of Popular Television 2.1 (2014): 3-19.
Garvey, Colin. “Hypothesis: Is ‘Terminator Syndrome’a Barrier to Democratizing Artificial Intelligence and Public Engagement in Digital Health?.” OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology 23.7 (2019): 362-363.
Garvey, Colin, and Chandler Maskal. “Sentiment analysis of the news media on artificial intelligence does not support claims of negative bias against artificial intelligence.” Omics: a journal of integrative biology 24.5 (2020): 286-299.
Hashimoto, Daniel A., Thomas M. Ward, and Ozanan R. Meireles. “The role of artificial intelligence in surgery.” Advances in Surgery 54 (2020): 89-101.
Köse, Utku. “Are we safe enough in the future of artificial intelligence? A discussion on machine ethics and artificial intelligence safety.” BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience 9.2 (2018): 184-197.
Siau, Keng, and Weiyu Wang. “Building trust in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics.” Cutter business technology journal 31.2 (2018): 47-53.
von Krogh, Georg, Quinetta Roberson, and Marc Gruber. “Recognizing and Utilizing Novel Research Opportunities with Artificial Intelligence.” Academy of Management Journal 66.2 (2023): 367-373.
Yano, Kazuo. “How artificial intelligence will change HR.” People & strategy 40.3 (2017): 42-47.
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