Before the Theories: AI in the Imagination of Fiction
Long Before Artificial Intelligence Had a Name
Long before anyone conceived of algorithms or neural networks, and before science began to dream of machines that think, artificial intelligence already existed as a vivid spark of imagination in fiction and entertainment. Storytellers, playwrights, and novelists conjured visions of mechanical minds and artificial beings, weaving tales that questioned what it means to be human, and what boundaries, if any, could contain the ingenuity of invention.
These early stories did not depend on the terminology or theories that would later define the scientific pursuit of artificial intelligence. Instead, they were fueled by wonder, curiosity, and sometimes fear, as writers speculated on the possibility of life crafted by human hands. From clockwork automatons in ancient myths to the unforgettable presence of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, fiction foreshadowed many of the hopes and anxieties that modern AI now inspires. In this way, the notion of artificial beings, long before their theoretical underpinnings, has always mirrored humanity’s ambitions and apprehensions, playing out on the stages of literature, theater, and film.
This post has five 20th century and early 21st century film clips that demonstrate what fiction feared. However, the underpinnings of the unaligned AI stories may no longer be of any entertainment value; that technology is now, “REALITY.”
(click here to see) Colossus, The Forbin Project Trailer
(click here to see) War Games Trailer
(click here to see) Star Trek Kirk and Ruk
(click here to see) Skynet from The Terminator
(click here to view) EAGLE EYE
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