This Review contains spoilers!!!
I don't really explicitly depict the movie, but I am still putting a spoiler warning. If you don't want to get spoiled then skip this post!
Big Ideas
I think that this was a really good movie. There were a ton of motifs that were discussed in the film, but to me the major ones were:
- Parenthood
- What defines Humanity?
- What are the extents of innovation and evolution for AI?
- Is it possible to defy our innate nature?
In the following sections, I'm going to discuss my thoughts based on the events of the film, as well as from personal experience. Feel free to share your ideas using the comments system below the blog post!
Parenthood
The idea of parenthood is challenging.
To me, there are generally speaking two different approaches to parenting, connected on a spectrum. On one hand, there are parents that are extreme patrolling helicopter parents. On the other, there are parents that are extremely lax and uncaring. To try to find a balance is the ideal, but it is difficult because each child is different and requires different parenting.
Here is a list of things that parents should do for their child:
- Provide shelter
- Feed them
- Clothe them
- Teach them life skills
- Provide a sense of safety
- Respond to the child's needs
- Show support for the childs interests
- Guide them to become a productive member of society
This may be difficult and controversial depending on country, culture, or child. But I think that this should be a basis for what parenting is. To be able to Feed, Clothe, and provide Shelter is the bare minimum if you want to be pedantic.
Teaching life skills is simple in words, but difficult in explanation. This is because to me, there should be things that everyone knows. To you that may be different. Some skills that should be taught would be :
- Being smart with money
- What to do in the event of an emergency
- How to cook basic meals
- How to do shopping for groceries and necessities
- Know how to maneuver in social situations
- Understand the impact of words and actions
To provide a sense of safety is challenging, as it means not whether they are physically safe or not. It means that the CHILD FEELS safe, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. It means they can express their ideas, themselves, and their opinions without judgement or punishment. This of course doesn't mean that whatever the child can say whatever they want without repercussions. It means that they are able to be comfortable as themself, whoever they choose to be.
Responding to the child's needs means that if they struggle with something, the parent should step up and try to help them out. If it's academically, then they might look towards teaching them the material or finding a tutor. There are many situations in life in which the child may not know what to do. In these situations, the parents should always be able to be a safety net for them to fall back onto, until they are able to get on their feet again.
Showing support for their interests is a big one. I think that if there is a support group for the child, they may feel inclined to share and explore their interests deeply.
To become a productive member of society, they should be able to find some sort of job/field to work in. Another thing would be to avoid doing crimes and things of that nature. Follow the laws of the land, and learn to be an upstanding citizen.
What defines Humanity?
This is a toughie. Humanity is a tough thing to describe. I think of it as the bare minimum to consider something human. This includes things like empathy, deep thought, introspection, and so forth. This is a heavy philosophical debate and I think that this movie is a good addition to the conversation. It provides some context through the personification of the animals and the robot Roz.
What are the extents of innovation and the evolution of AI?
AI is the buzzword. It has been for a couple years now, and it seems to be staying that way for a while. Honestly, I'm fuckin tired of hearing everything integrating with AI. "Check out our AI ___" or "Pay premium to have access to our AI ___". I DON'T GIVE A FUCK. FUCK YOUR AI. AI IS NOT NEEDED IN YOUR PRODUCT OR APPLICATION. LEAVE THAT SHIT OUT. I understand it's usefulness but it just seems to be everywhere.
I digress, the first question is "What are the extents of AI?" AI seems to keep growing, but honestly the last research I saw on the topic shows that it is plateauing. If I find the source then I will link it, but I could still be wrong. It seems that people vastly believe AI will grow in power indefinitely, and I sure hope they are wrong. It is plausible to have some sort of Extinction level event like that released in the NSA documents released a couple months ago SRC. In the movie, Roz modified its code and was capable of learning to talk with animals and stuff. I think this is reasonable.
What is the evolution of AI?
AI is already being used for several things including ML, DL, and so forth. It's already being used to replacement of stocking/inventory workers, dock workers, and so forth. I think that in the end, it will be a tool to replace lower level jobs like simple manual labor.
To replace artists is a major stretch in my opinion. It is unable to have the human quality that connects people. I think it would be good for mockups and non-artists to let actual artists get a baseline idea of what to produce. Think of it like a tattoo artist being told an idea with references then being given the freedom based on the fed information. Of course, this is majorly optimistic. I really don't see AI taking over many difficult jobs like art or software engineering though. There is too much critical thinking and domain knowledge that needs to be understood. Not to mention the vast amount of human processing that goes into it.
Is it possible to defy our human nature?
I think this is hard to say. I think this is possible. Look at stuff like Siddhartha and the Buddha, you can see how it's possible. I think that this is possible if people are able to put aside their desires. As Kendrick says in the song: "Tempation, Impatience, everything that the body nurtures" The Heart Part 5 by Kendrick Lamar
Furthermore, if one has the willpower, the body will follow. If the spirit leads, then the mind will obey, and the body will do. At least that's what I believe.
IDK what to name this section
Feel free to share your thoughts below! I'd love to hear other thoughts and opinions.