Do You Trust This Computer?

Its my first review here, after years of using IMDB. First I would like to say I am not a researcher in AI. But I am a technologist and work in science. I have no conflicts of interest. I did take a course on Machine Learning, and I did read the book of Nick Bostrom (yes, doing both is possible).

And I really dislike fear mongers and death preachers. I believe in a bright future for us all.

Yet I find this documentary fabulously useful.

To those who say this documentary is not based on facts: interviewed are some of the finest players out there (like Andrew Ng from Google Brains/Stanford) or biggest shapers of our time (Musk), or before his death Stephen Hawking shared similar opinions.

You don´t have to like Musk and Hawking, but when Musk (and others) present the potentials risks and says: one of the best ways we have at our disposal to prevent this is to Democratize and inform about AI and teach (to avoid monopoly of a couple companies or a state): what´s in it for him ?

I think, nothing.

If thats all it takes, or if that helps: democratizing, informing, keeping an eye open, or better regulate more the industry of the big tech companies of the field. Then I say, do it. Avoid the blind-sided-ness of the public. Then all that happens, is that we decrease the risks; Musk doesnt get richer than rich, he already is, we just reduce the risk.

So thanks to Musk and the others for going forward and producing the movie if thats the case, I simply wished you´d make the movie public sometime soon, it would close the ´You just want to cash in on a new fear´angle. But thanks.

And yes it has visuals, is it a shame to want to make a documentary look good.. ? open up.

And DEMOCRATIZE

A look into the future costs and benefits that current technological advancements may present. Though I will say there is a few authors/writers that seemed to be "fear-mongering" by exaggerating things; there is also a great deal of brilliant tech minds speaking straightforward.

Greetings again from the darkness. When asked if they believe a computer could ever be conscious, two young woman combine to respond: 'No. Unless they program it that way'. And that answer is at the core of director Chris Paine's (WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?) latest exploration of Artificial Intelligence. Are we controlling the machines, or could they end up controlling us?

Early on, the point is made that science-fiction has numbed us to the potential pitfalls and risks of A.I. Fingers are pointed at some favorites such as TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, WARGAMES, EX MACHINA, THE MATRIX, and ROBOCOP. We have come to accept A.I. as high level entertainment rather than acknowledging the inroads being made by firms such as Google.

It is explained that Google search is actually a form of Artificial Intelligence and the algorithms are collecting more data than we have stopped to realize. For a film like this, expert talking heads are a necessity, and director Paine delivers. We hear from AI experts, writers, journalists, and doctors. The lineup includes Jonathan Nolan, Elon Musk, and Stuart Russell, and each offers fundamental insight for the topic, leaving us with the notion that A.I. is capable of 'incredible miracles, as well as incredible horrors'. We are also informed that "it's not the future, it's the present".

Specific areas impacted by A.I. and explored here include: self-driving cars, medical applications, military weaponry, and financial market data. Weaponized drones are an example, and one surgeon provides a real life case study of how a computer would have an advantage over him. Time is spent on the "Jeopardy" experiment where IBM's Watson (created by David Farucci) goes up against the top contestants and wins. Robotics are also a focus here, and the impact goes far beyond the loss of factory jobs.

Well known documentary writer Mark Monroe (ICARUS, FED UP, THE COVE) helps director Paine with the presentation structure since so many topics are touched upon. The electronic score is a bit overbearing at times, and we can't help but question the motivation behind the film's dedication, "In Memory of Stephen Hawking". The film could be viewed as high tech fear-mongering, however, it's more of a wake-up call to pay attention to the developments that are occurring (and how data is being collected and processed). The last thing we want is for the film's opening quote to come true: "You are my creator, but I'm your master" (Mary Shelley from "Frankenstein").

It's thought provoking and it definitely rises questions to those who are concerned of their individuality, privacy and so on. Humans can grasp large amounts of information, but with the recent advancements in AI, I might change my perspectives, as the focus shifts more towards this topic. Anyway, we can only imagine of what the future may look like, until "something" else will predict it for us.

'What is the last ANALOG thing in a digital world...? HUMANS.' Even when it comes to the basics like social media, google and GPS, I've had to ask myself, "Do I control it? Or does it control me?" Or substitute the word 'control' with 'depend on.' At best the lines are blurred. To say that we are like infants suckling at the teat of technology may not be overstating things. And then there is the inevitable concept of A.I. Artificial Intelligence which already exists. A fascinating documentary that explores the current human/AI condition is: DO YOU TRUST THIS COMPUTER? From the makers of Who Killed the Electric Car, this doco asks the leading minds in the field all the hard questions while referencing relevant movies such as Terminator, Matrix, Ex-Machina and even Robocop. Just to clarify, this is not a 'conspiracy' doco, but it's scarily confronting and definitely worth the watch!