The God Question

The concept was compelling. The movie wasn't. The focus was more on the paranoia involved rather than the science. Could have been so much better with more sprinkles of science.

I am a big fan of movies dealing with the ramifications of Artificial Intelligence. This movie is much more interesting and well-considered than you might think after the first 10 minutes, which almost made me switch to something else. But if you keep with it, you will be rewarded with a very original perspective on the AI issue. Another review suggested that religious people will like this movie. Without creating a spoiler, I will say I believe this fellow reviewer did not actually watch the film. I think this movie does a very good job of considering what options a super-intelligent AI actually has. How does it decide what say, what to do, and just as importantly, what NOT to say and do?

I don't want to give away spoilers, so I can't say much. It's worth it for AI fans. Interesting side conversations occur, hinting at the real dangers (someday in the far future) of giving a ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) unfettered access to the web.

The movie is a bit slow at times but stick with it. It does skirt the issue of the fact that you can't ban the development of ASI successfully. It would just mean some other country would develop it. Better to build it right the first time since if you build it wrong you won't get a second chance. ASI will either make the Earth a paradise for humans or a living hell (or extinction level event). it's a long way off though. Rough estimate is 2060. Around 98% of AI scientists and programmers believe ASI is achievable someday.

I initially thought this was an actual documentary where researchers had posed this question of an AI supercomputer. When I realized it was a fictional dramatization, I almost stopped watching then. After completing the whole movie, I wished I could have my 90 minutes back.

Interesting but not entirely original concept. The motives of the characters aren't well defined. The question the researcher poses is not the ideal question to ask AI, as one of the characters points out. It's unclear why anyone in the film even wants to ask this question or why it's so important to them. All of the tension and suspense leads to nothing. I almost expected a plot twist but knew it wasn't coming, and it did not. Almost nothing happens in the last half hour of the movie. Meh.