ArtiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence seems to have become, as Michael Lewis labeled a preÂviÂous chapÂter in the recent hisÂtoÂry of techÂnolÂoÂgy, the new new thing. But human anxÂiÂeties about it are, if not an old old thing, then at least part of a traÂdiÂtion longer than we may expect. For vivid eviÂdence, look no furÂther than Fritz Lang’s MetropÂoÂlis, which brought the very first cinÂeÂmatÂic depicÂtion of artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence to theÂaters in 1927. It “imagÂines a future cleaved in two, where the affluÂent from lofty skyÂscrapÂers rule over a subÂterÂranean caste of laborÂers,” writes Synapse AnaÂlytÂics’ Omar Abo MosÂalÂlam. “The class tenÂsion is so palÂpaÂble that the invenÂtion of a MaschiÂnenÂmenÂsch (a robot capaÂble of work) upends the social order.”
The sheer tireÂlessÂness of the MaschiÂnenÂmenÂsch “sows havÂoc in the city”; latÂer, after it takes on the form of a young woman called Maria — a transÂforÂmaÂtion you can watch in the clip above — it “incites workÂers to rise up and destroy the machines that keep the city funcÂtionÂing. Here, there is a sugÂgesÂtion to assoÂciate this new invenÂtion with an unravÂelÂing of the social order.” This robot, which Guardian film critÂic Peter BradÂshaw describes as “a brilÂliant erotiÂcizaÂtion and fetishizaÂtion of modÂern techÂnolÂoÂgy,” has long been MetropÂoÂlis’ sigÂnaÂture figÂure, more iconÂic than HAL, Data, and WALL‑E put togethÂer.
Still, those charÂacÂters all rate menÂtions of their own in the artiÂcles reviewÂing the hisÂtoÂry of AI in the movies recentÂly pubÂlished by the BFI, RTÉ, PicÂtoÂry, and othÂer outÂlets besides. The Day the Earth Stood Still, Alien, Blade RunÂner (and even more so its sequel Blade RunÂner 2049), Ghost in the Shell, The Matrix, and Ex MachiÂna. Not all of these picÂtures present their artiÂfiÂcialÂly intelÂliÂgent charÂacÂters priÂmarÂiÂly as exisÂtenÂtial threats to the existÂing order; the BFI’s Georgina Guthrie highÂlights video essayÂist-turned-auteur KogÂoÂnaÂda’s After Yang as an examÂple that treats the role of AI could assume in sociÂety as a much more comÂplex — indeed, much more human — matÂter.
From MetropÂoÂlis to After Yang, as RTÉ’s Alan Smeaton points out, “AI is usuÂalÂly porÂtrayed in movies in a robotÂic or humanoid-like fashÂion, preÂsumÂably because we can easÂiÂly relate to humanoid and robotÂic forms.” But as the pubÂlic has come to underÂstand over the past few years, we can perÂceive a techÂnolÂoÂgy as potenÂtialÂly or actuÂalÂly intelÂliÂgent even it doesÂn’t resemÂble a human being. PerÂhaps the age of the fearÂsome mechanÂiÂcal Art Deco gynoid will nevÂer come to pass, but we now feel more keenÂly than ever both the seducÂtiveÂness and the threat of MetropÂoÂlis’ MaschiÂnenÂmenÂsch — or, as it was named in the origÂiÂnal on which the film was based, FutuÂra.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
MetropÂoÂlis: Watch Fritz Lang’s 1927 MasÂterÂpiece
AmaÂzon Offers Free AI CoursÂes, AimÂing to Help 2 MilÂlion PeoÂple Build AI Skills by 2025
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
I’m pretÂty sure the Torah has the 1st AI being that of the golem.