{"id":52,"date":"2020-03-24T23:27:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T15:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalpatmos.com\/vol4issue2\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2020-08-13T17:19:52","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T09:19:52","slug":"markoos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitalpatmos.com\/vol4issue2\/markoos\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-Human Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Optimistic depictions of human-AI relationships in popular cinema: A comparative analysis of Her (2013) <\/em>and Interstellar (2014)<\/em> <\/h1>\n\n\n

by Marcus Chew<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Early\ndepictions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in popular cinema have generally\nbeen pessimistic, with AI turning against and destroying their human creators.\nPopular AI films that echo this sentiment include the Matrix<\/em> trilogy\n(1999 \u2013 2003) and the Terminator<\/em> franchise (1984 \u2013 2019). AI films\ngenerally fall under the genre of speculative fiction, as they contain\nfuturistic elements that do not currently exist in the world. Urbanski (2015)\ntheorizes that a key purpose of speculative fiction is to communicate cultural fears\n– presenting \u2018cautionary tales\u2019 about the future of human society, and \u2018hopeful\nwarnings\u2019 to show how society can be steered in more optimistic directions (p.\n10). Thus, early cinematic depictions of AI show society\u2019s collective fear and\nmistrust towards AI, which will eventually rob humans of our capacity to make\nfree choices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nnot all representations of AI in cinema are so pessimistic. In recent years, films\nsuch as Her <\/em>(2013) and Interstellar <\/em>(2014) depict AI in a more\npositive light. These films show how AI can be harnessed to help humans,\ninstead of turning against them. In this way, these films offer society \u2018hopeful\nwarnings\u2019 \u2013 alternative, more optimistic futures that frame the relationship\nbetween humans and AI in a more positive light, while remaining cognizant of\nthe possible negative consequences that AI can have on humans. In this essay, I\nwill conduct a comparative analysis of Her <\/em>and Interstellar<\/em>. I\nargue that the amount of agency AI is given, which refers to AI\u2019s power to make\ndecisions, is dependent on the complexity of the functions that they fulfil. In\nturn, the amount of agency an AI has determines their latitude for independent\ngrowth, which affects the extent of the potential benefits, but also negative\nconsequences that humans face. While simpler functions require less AI agency\nto complete, they also limit AI\u2019s potential and the subsequent benefit to\nhumans. On the other hand, while more complex functions require more AI agency\nto complete, and can have negative consequences for humans, these AI possess\nmore latitude for independent growth, allowing humans to reap more potential\nbenefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Function of AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In both Her <\/em>and Interstellar<\/em>, AI is depicted as fulfilling key functions in society. In Interstellar<\/em>, AI\u2019s primary function is to extend and augment human capability. In the film, four human crew members, accompanied by two military robots, TARS and CASE, are sent on a space mission to discover a new planet that humans can survive in and eventually colonise. Time is of the essence, as Earth\u2019s resources are rapidly depleting. In a critical sequence in the film, Cooper, the human protagonist, engages the help of TARS and CASE to escape a near-death situation. Cooper needs to pilot and dock the smaller, secondary spaceship he and the crew are in, onto the main, primary spaceship. Cooper commands CASE to analyse the spin pattern of a moving object, which a human cannot do. He also orders TARS to manoeuvre a docking mechanism that he would have piloted under normal circumstances, but is physically impossible for him to operate at that moment. Here, we see how TARS and CASE extend and augment Cooper\u2019s human, and therefore limited, capabilities. TARS and CASE also have secondary functions – protecting the crew members and integrating with the human crew, both of which allow it to complete its primary function more easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"TARS,
TARS – deliberately non-anthropomorphic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Her <\/em>(2013) depicts a society where genuine connection between humans is becoming increasingly scarce. In the film, the primary function of AI is to simulate human connection in a world where it is increasingly found wanting. The protagonist of the film, Theodore, is a sensitive, withdrawn young man who struggles with loneliness. Theodore\u2019s job is telling of this loss of genuine connection between people \u2013 he is a professional letter writer who composes personal letters for other people who have lost the ability to emotionally engage with their loved ones. To cope with his loneliness, and the pain of his recent separation with his ex-wife, Theodore purchases an operating system upgrade, OS1, that includes an artificially intelligent virtual assistant, Samantha. They connect instantly and eventually fall in love, even though Samantha does not occupy a physical form \u2013 she communicates with him solely through speech. While the ostensible function of AI in Her<\/em> is to help humans with daily tasks, this function was served by the operating system that preceded Samantha. Indeed, although Samantha serves as Theodore\u2019s personal assistant \u2013 helping him to organize his life, from sorting his emails, to reminding him of his appointments, this is arguably only her secondary function. As the film progress, she fulfils her primary function of simulating human connection and develops into Theodore\u2019s companion and romantic partner with her own wants and desires, shedding her servile qualities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Review:
Theodore having a conversation with Samantha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Agency:\nAI\u2019s power to make decisions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In\nboth Her <\/em>and Interstellar<\/em>, the amount of agency that AI is\naccorded with depends on their function. Complex functions require more agency\nto complete, while simpler tasks require less. In Interstellar<\/em>, TARS and\nCASE require less agency because they are tasked with simpler functions. In the\nexample of the docking sequence given above, TARS and CASE extend and augment\nCooper\u2019s human capabilities, but the tasks they do are rather mechanical, and require\nless computation or thinking than Samantha\u2019s function in Her<\/em>. In\nengaging the docking mechanism, TARS only uses mechanical brute force. In\nanalysing the spin pattern of the main spaceship, CASE simply analyses a\npattern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\ncontrast, the AI in Her<\/em>, Samantha, requires more agency due to the\ncomplex nature of her function, which is more difficult to accomplish. Samantha\u2019s\nprimary function is to simulate human connection, while her secondary function\nis to help Theodore organise his life. Of these two functions, simulating human\nconnection is particularly difficult because for an AI to converse and\ncommunicate like a human, the ability to think, learn, and have a personality,\nas a human does, is necessary. These are complex processes that require more\nagency. Samantha\u2019s ability to grow and learn from her experiences mirrors man\u2019s\nability to continuously constitute ourselves, a fact that Samantha reflexively\nacknowledges when she explains to Theodore, \u2018in every moment I\u2019m evolving, just\nlike you\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI\u2019s\nLatitude for independent growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More\nimportantly, the amount of agency that AI in both films have also affects their\nability to learn and grow autonomously, independently from humans. When AI has\nlimited agency, as in Interstellar<\/em>, AI\u2019s potential for independent\ngrowth is attenuated, reducing the subsequent benefit to humans. When AI has\nmore agency, as in Her<\/em>, AI possesses more latitude for independent\ngrowth. Therefore, while increased latitude for independent growth can have\nnegative consequences for humans, humans can also reap greater potential\nbenefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since\nTARS and CASE from Interstellar <\/em>have less agency than Samantha, their\nability to learn and grow independently from humans is similarly reduced. In Interstellar<\/em>,\nAI can learn and grow, but they do so in relation and in service to humans. For\nexample, CASE learns how to engage in risky, but fuel efficient flying\nmanoeuvres when it watches Cooper perform such a feat. Later, when Cooper instructs\nCASE to perform such a manoeuvre, it can do so. CASE even acknowledges how this\nskill was \u2018learned from [Cooper]\u2019. Yet, CASE is unable to learn independently \u2013\nCooper first has to instruct it. Moreover, CASE\u2019s learning does not serve its\nown needs \u2013 its newfound ability to engage in \u2018reckless flying\u2019, as Cooper\ncalls it, is a skill that benefits the humans and aids them on their mission \u2013\nCASE does not benefit from it in any way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TARS\nand CASE also appear to have personalities, but they are much less developed\nthan Samantha\u2019s. While TARS is more sarcastic and humorous, CASE is more\nreserved. While one can understand their differing personalities as a sign of\ntheir potential for growth, their \u2018personalities\u2019 are simply lines of code that\nare programmed into them by human agents, for the benefit of humans. This is\nevident from the adjustable settings on different personality traits that TARS\nand CASE have, such as humour or trust. At the start of the film, TARS\u2019 humour\nsetting is at 100%, and he takes the opportunity to crack jokes whenever he\ncan. However, when Cooper finds his constant joking tiresome, he lowers TARS\u2019\nhumour settings to 75%, which brings down the intensity and frequency of TARS\u2019\njokes. What limited personality TARS displays through his humour is thus\nrevealed to be controllable and in the interest of humans \u2013 one of the human\ncrew members reveals that TARS and CASE were given humour settings in order to integrate\nbetter with the human crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Her<\/em>, Samantha has much greater latitude for\nindependent growth than TARS and CASE do. While this has greater overall\nbenefits for humans, it does come with possible negative consequences.\nSamantha\u2019s growth does not only occur in relation to humans, as is the case\nwith the AI in Interstellar<\/em>. She has a personality and grows of her own\naccord, developing desires of her own. These desires pose problematic\nconsequences for humans. One such desire is her yearning for physical\nembodiment. While one might say that Samantha desires a body to better serve\nTheodore\u2019s needs \u2013 especially his desire for companionship and physical\nintimacy, Samantha\u2019s desires are sometimes framed in opposition to his. For\nexample, Samantha develops sexual desires that she attributes directly to her\nown will. Due to Samantha\u2019s lack of a physical form, she suggests engaging a\nsurrogate sexual partner as a substitute. She says, \u2018I want this. This is\nimportant to me\u2019. From her use of the personal pronouns \u2018I\u2019 and \u2018me\u2019, Samantha\npositions herself as an independent actor with her own desires that do not\nnecessarily align with what Theodore wants. In fact, in this scene, Theodore is\nhesitant about proceeding, saying that he feels \u2018uncomfortable\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The negative consequences of Samantha\u2019s growth culminates in a technological singularity, defined by Vinge (1993) as a point where the intelligence of AI surpasses that of man. We know technological singularity is reached when Samantha cooperates with a group of AI operating systems to develop a software upgrade that enables them to \u2018move past matter as [their] processing platform\u2019 \u2013 in other words, to leave the physical world behind. This has disastrous consequences for humans \u2013 if the intelligence of AI surpasses that of humans, it follows that AI has the potential to turn against their human creators. While this prospect is not explicitly explored in the film, it is certainly alluded to \u2013 in earlier, pessimistic cinematic depictions of AI like in the Terminator<\/em> franchise, AI turn against their human creators after reaching singularity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nwe must acknowledge that AI can bring benefits to humans too. In fact, since\nSamantha has greater latitude for independent growth than TARS and CASE, she\ncan bring greater benefits to humans than they can. While TARS and CASE\u2019s\npersonalities allow them to integrate with the human crew, Samantha\u2019s\never-growing personality transcends mere integration with humans \u2013 it allows\nTheodore to love her. As noted previously, Samantha is constantly in the\nprocess of constituting herself \u2013 which makes her more human and thus more\nrelatable to Theodore. It is precisely because Samantha so closely simulates a\nhuman that Theodore falls in love with her \u2013 she is a complex being with\nemotions, wants, and aspirations. When asked what he loves the most about\nSamantha, Theodore says \u2018she\u2019s so many things \u2026 she isn\u2019t just any one thing.\nShe\u2019s so much larger than that\u2019. Theodore is clearly attracted to Samantha\u2019s\ncomplexity, her ability to learn and grow, which sets her apart from the\nprevious operating system that preceded OS1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 While TARS and\nCASE\u2019s ability to learn increases their ability to fulfil their function of\nextending and augmenting human capabilities, Samantha\u2019s comparatively greater\nlatitude for independent growth allows her to have an impact on Theodore that\nfalls outside her primary function of simulating human connection \u2013 it allows\nTheodore to reconnect with other humans. At the start of the film, Theodore was\nsocially isolated and withdrawn from society. Over the course of the film, as\ntheir relationship developed, Samantha changed Theodore, and made him more\nwilling to engage with other people in the world around him. This change\nmanifests clearly in a scene after Samantha achieves singularity. Instead of\nwallowing in self-pity, as he did when his ex-wife left him, Theodore decides\nto seek out human connection in his friend Amy. In a moment of profound\ncatharsis, he also composes a letter to his ex-wife, in which he details his\ngratitude, acceptance and apology. Here, we see how Samantha has changed and\nempowered Theodore \u2013 he grows from a shy, withdrawn member of society to a much\nmore mature version of himself, who is willing to acknowledge his flaws and\nmistakes and engage with the world around him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Urbanski (2015) notes, speculative fiction presents\n\u2018cautionary tales\u2019, but it can also point towards more optimistic alternatives.\nThis comparative analysis of Interstellar<\/em> and Her<\/em> allows us to\nunderstand the spectrum of possibilities that exist with regards to positive\ndepictions of human-AI relationships. If humans want to reap more benefits from\nAI, they can consider giving AI more agency and letting AI grow independently.\nHowever, they must also balance this with the possible negative consequences\nthat such unrestricted growth might bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ellison,\nM., Jonze, S., Landay, V. (Producers), & Jonze, S. (Director). (2013). Her<\/em>\n[Motion Picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Annapurna Pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nolan,\nC., Obst, L., Thomas, E. (Producers), & Nolan, C. (Director). (2014). Interstellar\n<\/em>[Motion Picture]. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urbanski, H. (2015). Plagues,\napocalypses and bug-eyed monsters: How speculative fiction shows us our\nnightmares<\/em>. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vinge, V. (1993). The coming technological\nsingularity: How to survive in the post-human era. Science Fiction\nCriticism: An Anthology of Essential Writings<\/em>, 352-363.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Marcus Chew Early depictions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in popular cinema have generally been pessimistic, with AI turning against and destroying their human creators. Popular AI films that echo this sentiment include the Matrix trilogy (1999 \u2013 2003) and the Terminator franchise (1984 \u2013 2019). AI films generally fall under the genre of speculative … <\/p>\n

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