In this blog post, we will examine human sociality as depicted in Steven Spielberg’s ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ and its implications.
Master filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ is set on a future Earth where resources have become scarce due to melting glaciers, leading to the advanced development and widespread commercialization of robots that consume almost no resources. Dr. Harvey of the mega-corporation Cybertronics develops the first robot capable of emotion (David) and places him with the Swinton couple, company employees, for testing. At first, David acts a bit awkwardly, but he gradually comes to see Monica as his mother and grows accustomed to human society. However, when Martin—the Swintons’ real son, who had been cryogenically preserved until a cure was found for his terminal illness—returns fully recovered, David becomes increasingly marginalized. Due to misunderstandings and conflicts arising from Martin’s pranks, the Swintons eventually abandon David. Believing he is not human but merely an abandoned object, David recalls the story of Pinocchio his mother told him and resolves to find the Blue Fairy. After various adventures—including meeting the wandering robot Joe and being captured at a robot destruction festival—he travels to the flooded city of New York, where the fairy is said to reside. However, it all turns out to be part of Dr. Harvey’s experiment to test whether David could act with a sense of purpose. Shocked by this revelation, David falls into the sea and, as he is swept away by the waves, catches a glimpse of the Blue Fairy. With the help of Joe, the robot who had accompanied him, David is rescued, but he dives back into the sea to meet the Blue Fairy and his systems shut down there. Two thousand years later, advanced robots discover David in the frozen sea. Hearing his heartfelt wish, they bring Monica back to life. David spends a happy day with Monica and falls asleep.
I believe this film is the best I’ve seen in portraying human reactions to the emergence of “emotional robots.” Rather than simply presenting one-sided reactions like “love” or “hatred,” it methodically shows how human psychology gradually changes over time. Above all, the reason this film resonates with so many people and touches their hearts is not merely because of the novel subject of “robots,” but because it also brings to light the underlying issues hidden within modern society.
Henry, who adopted David, is initially a bit gruff but treats David with great kindness and familiarity. However, when his real son Martin returns and David, deceived by him, cuts his hair, Henry deems him “dangerous” and easily cuts off his affection. Monica, on the other hand, is initially wary of David—who makes no sound and seems “unhuman” in many ways—and struggles to warm up to him. But as she grows attached, she begins to protect and care for him. However, when the couple’s son, Martin, falls into the pool with David, David is cast aside and abandoned. While wandering the streets, David is captured by a festival where people who hate robots gather to destroy them for their own amusement. As hydrochloric acid is about to be poured over his head, he pleads for his life, and the audience, witnessing this, causes a riot demanding his release. After all this suffering, Dr. Harvey welcomes David back to the lab and rejoices at the sight of him without a shred of guilt. Observing these depictions, we can view them from two main perspectives.
First, focusing on the events that befall David, the “robot,” we can consider whether it is appropriate to imbue “resources”—which we use as tools—with emotions. Possessing intelligence and emotions is the defining characteristic and standard of humanity. However, even if a robot—which is not legally considered a living being—possesses intelligence and emotions, it is highly unlikely to be granted “rights,” which could lead to various socially problematic issues that are ethically questionable. For example, if a technical defect is discovered in a newly released robot and a recall is issued, this amounts to creating sentient beings at will and then destroying them for trivial reasons. Furthermore, since sentient beings cannot be killed indiscriminately, a situation could arise where robots—which have no natural lifespan—reach a point of saturation. The common thread among these potential issues is that even if technology to artificially create “emotions” were developed, humans would have no “right” over those emotions once they are created. This is a problem that also arises in technologies like cloning, which artificially create “life.” This is because both are capable of “mass production,” have a specific “purpose” for their creation, and we would seek to “control” them. If such technology is ever developed, there will likely need to be a very deep and broad discussion across society regarding ethical issues before it is put to use.
From another perspective, we can focus on the “people” who treat David, a “socially vulnerable individual” (which is, in fact, the most important part of this film). First, by observing the Swinton couple, we can see the social issues that can arise in adoptive families. In a very small number of adoptive families, parents may discriminate against their biological children when raising them alongside adopted children, or they may come to regret the adoption; we can observe the process leading to this and the emotional changes involved. From the perspective of a third-party viewer, David and Martin are no different, but from the parents’ perspective, it is easy for their emotions to lean toward their biological son. This is a point that makes couples who are considering adoption without deeply reflecting on responsibility or bonding reconsider their decision.
Second, observing the spectators at the robot destruction festival reveals the baseless hostility some people harbor toward the socially vulnerable. While it is true that David’s rescue during the festival appears moving, I personally view the spectators who save him as hypocrites. This is because they hated and despised a being different from themselves without just cause, even though he had done nothing wrong to them. (I view this as similar to the context of racism against Black people or women.) It is not justifiable to claim righteousness simply because, after enjoying the spectacle of throwing slaves to lions in the Colosseum, one child realized a slave was not actually a slave and rescued him. The focus should not be on the fact that they saved David, but rather on the fact that they participated in such a festival in the first place. Such issues manifest in modern society as well, in the form of prejudice against social groups such as foreign workers or people with disabilities.
Finally, looking at Dr. Harvey, we can see the social problem of a lack of ethical awareness in the pursuit of commercial goals. Dr. Harvey is fully aware that David is being abandoned, suffering, and—most importantly—feeling emotional pain. Yet, he issues commands through the Dr. Chak-Chak system, using David’s actions as experimental data, and rejoices at the “success of the experiment” when David arrives in New York. This is because he viewed David merely as a commercial commodity. Even in modern society, there are frequent instances where ethical issues are overlooked in the pursuit of commercial efficiency. Examples include grinding up chicks alive to minimize processing costs because they do not meet standards, or choosing not to install safety devices because the expected cost of compensation based on the probability of an accident is lower than the additional cost of the safety measures. In particular, this problem is becoming increasingly severe as large corporations grow and collective selfishness expands.
In this way, while “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” appears to address future social issues through the theme of robots, it is actually a film that subtly yet effectively portrays current social problems by leveraging the nuanced concept of robots possessing emotions. Furthermore, the film’s famous line, “His love is real. But he is not” (His love is real. but he is not), expresses the contradiction that arises when a robot possesses emotions, prompting viewers to reflect on the true nature of “humanity.” Even without such philosophical analysis, the film “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” stands as an excellent work—a touching family film that encompasses all the essential elements of love, friendship, adventure, and happiness.
