Spielberg's 'AI' Revisited: Flaws Emerge Amidst Modern AI Boom
Twenty-four years after its debut, Steven Spielberg’s AI: Artificial Intelligence offers a fascinating, if at times perplexing, viewing experience. Released in 2001, when artificial intelligence was largely confined to speculative fiction and nascent academic research, the film now confronts an audience immersed in daily conversations about chatbots, generative algorithms, and autonomous systems. One might anticipate a profound shift in perspective, a new layer of insight. Yet, for all its prescience, the film’s narrative falters, its exploration of titular technology often overshadowed by a story that struggles with its own identity, revealing flaws more brightly than ever before, even as its imagined world grows increasingly familiar.
The film, rooted in a short story by Brian Aldiss and significantly shaped by the late Stanley Kubrick’s earlier development work, unfolds in an indeterminate future where climate change has submerged coastal cities, rendering resources scarce and robots indispensable. Against this backdrop, inventor Allen Hobby, portrayed by William Hurt, envisions the next evolutionary step: an artificially intelligent child robot capable of genuine love. He believes he has achieved this with David, played by Haley Joel Osment, a prototype designed to imprint on and love a parent with unwavering devotion.
The initial act introduces David to Monica (Frances O’Connor) and Henry (Sam Robards), whose own son, Martin, lies in a five-year coma. David is brought into their home as a potential replacement, and his early interactions are undeniably unsettling. He is strange, almost uncanny, lacking human nuance. Monica’s decision to “imprint” on him, thereby activating his capacity for irreversible love, feels abrupt. This irreversibility, a core tenet of David’s programming, stands out as a significant design flaw when viewed today. The notion that a highly advanced robot cannot be reprogrammed, but must instead be destroyed if unwanted, strains credulity. Furthermore, the appeal of a child who never grows, never evolves beyond a fixed state of perpetual childhood, seems to contradict the very essence of human parenting joy. David’s unwavering, programmed affection, while central to the plot, takes on an almost horror-tinged quality, an unsettling intensity that feels even more pronounced two decades later.
When Martin miraculously recovers, a rivalry ensues between the two children. In a moment of stark cruelty, Monica abandons David in the woods rather than returning him for destruction. This act of abandonment is profoundly disturbing, leaving the audience with an indelible sense of Monica’s callousness and a deep empathy for David’s plight. From this point, the film veers into a broader, more surreal odyssey. David encounters Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), a sentient sex robot who paradoxically exhibits more emotional depth and humanity than David himself, alongside David’s steadfast low-tech companion, Teddy. Their journey traverses a world grappling with the integration of machines, oscillating between outright revulsion, exemplified by the brutal “Flesh Fair” where robots are destroyed for entertainment, and unbridled embrace, as seen in the AI-centric “Rogue City.” While these settings offer intriguing glimpses into societal reactions to advanced technology, the film often touches upon profound concepts without fully exploring them, leaving a sense of untapped potential. Joe’s poignant monologue about human distrust of technology, for instance, is quickly forgotten amidst the visual spectacle.
One scene, however, resonates with startling accuracy in the modern era: David and Joe’s visit to “Dr. Know,” an AI-powered Albert Einstein avatar voiced by Robin Williams, capable of accessing all human knowledge to answer any query. This concept, essentially a highly advanced version of contemporary generative AI like ChatGPT, is depicted as a mere strip mall attraction, highlighting how commonplace such technology might become in a future where AI has been fully monetized and integrated. Yet, this prescient detail contrasts sharply with David’s own intellectual limitations. Despite being the world’s most advanced robot, he retains the mind and emotions of a small child, unable to grasp that Pinocchio is a fictional story, let alone evolve beyond his initial programming. This disconnect between his technological sophistication and mental arrested development leaves the audience questioning his true potential and purpose.
The narrative takes another curious turn when David finally finds his creator, Hobby, who reveals he has been subtly orchestrating David’s journey. This feels narratively forced but leads to a crucial revelation: David is the first robot to genuinely pursue his dreams, driven by self-motivation rather than human programming. It’s a fascinating concept ripe for deeper exploration, yet it’s immediately sidelined as David continues his quest for the mythical Blue Fairy, believing she can transform him into a “real boy.”
The film’s ending, often forgotten or misremembered, adds another layer of complexity. After David seemingly finds his “Blue Fairy” in a submerged Coney Island attraction, the story leaps 2,000 years into the future. Humanity has perished, and advanced aliens discover David frozen in ice. To grant him happiness, they resurrect Monica for a single, fleeting day. This touching, albeit arbitrary, conclusion pivots the film’s ultimate message away from the intricacies of artificial intelligence and firmly towards the enduring power of human love and emotion. The film’s title, AI, in this context, becomes less about the technology itself and more a commentary on the inherent qualities we often take for granted as humans.
Ultimately, AI: Artificial Intelligence proves to be a messy, at times underwhelming, experience today, a stark contrast to its initial profound impact. While flashes of genius illuminate its conceptual landscape, its narrative inconsistencies and underdeveloped thematic explorations prevent it from fully realizing its potential. Nevertheless, as the world of the film inches closer to reality, its capacity for re-contextualization remains boundless, promising future interpretations as AI continues its relentless march into our lives.