No subject is currently on everyone’s lips as much as artificial intelligence and the chatbot ChatGPT. Even if “Automata” came out almost 10 years ago, it’s worth watching the sci-fi movie now. Because it raises a lot of technological questions that the world is likely to face in the future. At the moment there is”vending machinesby subscribing to Amazon Prime Video.
Between “Ex Machina” and “I, Robot”
In 2044, due to gigantic climate disasters, there will be only 21 million people in the world. To save the population from complete extinction, the Automata Pilgrim 7000 was created. While humanity lives a desolate life in the dystopian world, the robots ensure their existence by doing whatever it takes.
The machines are based on two protocols. The first protocol prevents the robot from damaging any form of life. The second states that no machine can modify itself or others, i.e. rebuild or even repair. These laws are immutable. But one day everything turns out differently when insurance agent Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) encounters a mysterious robotic entity.
State of the art science fiction
“Blade Runner” was over 40 years ago, “I, Robot” almost 20 and “Automata” almost 10 and yet none of these movies could be more contemporary. After all, the core topic is artificial intelligence and its consequences for the whole world. Since everyone is talking about AI and especially the chatbot ChatGPT, it makes sense to take another look at these movies.
“Automata” is significantly less known than the other two genre representatives. Director Gabe Ibáñez manages to do something not many films do. On the one hand, the right questions are asked. For example, why is there the second protocol? In other words, why are people afraid or at least concerned about this topic? Here, too, there are parallels to the present day, where Tesla and Space X boss Elon Musk and other Silicon Valley luminaries agree Pause appeal to research into AI.
On the other hand, the corresponding answers are included, which are anything but clichéd. You rather get the impression that the makers were actually intensively involved with these subjects at the time. This benefits the film in the form of a well thought out story.
An intelligent contribution to the field of artificial intelligence
Similar to “I, Robot”, there is also “Automata”, a mystery on the trail of the protagonist. The story moves time and again between a classic detective film and futuristic science fiction cinema. “Automata” is worlds away from the stereotype of the evil robot à la “Terminator”. Instead, the looks sometimes arouse more sympathy than isolated human figures, not least because they are depicted in a more neutral way than in comparable productions.
Ultimately, the movie’s message is relatively clear: Playing with AI can only backfire – either it’s not mature enough for people to joke about, or it’s too mature. In that case man has had his day. Unlike so many films, which are ultimately about robots that want to exterminate humans, ‘Automata’ does without such clichés. Because in this case we do it very well ourselves…
With a budget of just $15 million, the sci-fi movie is quite impressive. The robots look stylish and the appearance of the dystopian world can also have an effect. However, all the interesting and thought-provoking ideas rolled out here are definitely its greatest strength.
“Automata” is perfectly rounded off by the ending, which leaves probably one of the biggest questions in technology: what are people going to do with the enormous potential of artificial intelligence? A question that we are working on even more intensively today than when the film was made.