Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagScience fiction

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Spooky silhouettes of aliens and bright light in background. 3D rendered illustration.

Alien Resurrection, Part 2: Trying to Recover After a Retcon

The writers of the show never seemed to agree on how smart these aliens really are.
A problem for the franchise as a whole is that there’s been no consistent measurement for these creatures’ intelligence. Read More ›
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In a dystopian future, a group of people wearing white, futuristic clothing stands inside a virtual reality, an ominous reminder of the uncertain fate of humanity

Tech Billionaires and Their Science Fiction Dreams

They're mistaking cautionary tales for instruction manuals.

The ideology and language surrounding the development of new technologies like AI often sound akin to futuristic utopias (or dystopias). A new article from the Scientific American illustrates why: many tech billionaires were enamored by science fiction as children. Charles Stross, himself a successful sci-fi novelist, writes, Billionaires who grew up reading science-fiction classics published 30 to 50 years ago are affecting our life today in almost too many ways to list: Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars. Jeff Bezos prefers 1970s plans for giant orbital habitats.  Peter Thiel is funding research into artificial intelligence, life extension and “seasteading.” Mark Zuckerberg has blown $10 billion trying to create the Metaverse from Neal Stephenson’s novel Snow Crash. And Marc Andreessen of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has Read More ›

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Abstract flight in retro neon hyper warp space in the tunnel 3d illustration

Alien 3 Review, Part 4

Ripley's curtain call

In the third article, Ripley woke up in an all-male prison after surviving a shuttle crash. A parasitic alien tagged along and implanted an embryo in an inmate’s dog. The embryo breaks out of the animal and begins killing people until everyone figures out what’s going on, then they hatched one of the dumbest plans I’ve ever seen in cinema. After that, Ripley begins feeling sick. She goes to her still fully intact cryobed and scans herself. She finds that the parasitic alien has also planted an embryo inside her. The fact that Ripley had an embryo in her the entire time is ridiculous for a number of reasons. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, her cryobed wasn’t broken, so Read More ›

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3d illustration futuristic background with large sphere and neon dots

The Two Visions of AI Technology

Competing views of AI's potential comprise a new struggle in Silicon Valley.

A month ago, one of the most dramatic power struggles in Silicon Valley’s corporate history took place in the offices of OpenAI. The board of the tech company suddenly ousted CEO Sam Altman for not being consistently “candid” in his communication. Days later, Altman was back at the helm of OpenAI and the board that canned him got the favor returned. In the following weeks, speculation has swirled over the real reasons Altman and his board butted heads so significantly. Altman, although he’s pushing ahead with AI technologies like ChatGPT and DALL-E, also appeared before members of congress earlier this year and recommended AI be regulated. However, he’s much more on the side of “acceleration,” rolling out AI aggressively and Read More ›

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ACT I, typed text on a vintage typewriter, screenplay title heading. On old paper with ink. writer's idea

Alien 3 Review, Part 2

An attack on motherhood and logic

Last time, we began with the opening scene, and already, the entire franchise is ruined. In this review, we’ll discuss why. I would recommend reading the previous article for clarity, but for now, I’ll simply list the sequence of events. The alien queen, somehow, managed to lay an egg inside the room where the cryobeds were kept in spite of the fact that she’d never been outside the hull of the ship. The egg hatched and the parasitic alien damaged Newt’s cryobed, then for no apparent reason, abandoned its attempt to latch onto Newt, and latched onto Ripley instead. But here’s the thing. Ripley’s bed wasn’t damaged in anyway. So, how did it break into the bed? Both the ship Read More ›

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Outer space background

Alien 3 Review, Part 1

How to destroy a franchise in seven minutes

No sense in burying the lead. This one is awful. But it’s important to understand how and why it’s awful. Alien 3 manages to destroy the entire franchise with remarkable speed. I’ll explain how, as the reviews go on. We start off with a credit sequence, and already things feel off. Ripley and the surviving members of the previous film are still in their cryobeds, but something else is aboard the ship as well: an alien egg. This egg is seen hanging upside down, almost at eye level. Already, we have a plethora of problems, so let’s dive in, shall we? The previous movie, Aliens, established that it takes a queen to lay these eggs. Now, we don’t know exactly Read More ›

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blue sunrise, view of earth from space

Alien Review, Part 3

So, what can be said about Alien? It’s okay.

Previously, we discussed how the crew of the Nostromo had accidentally let an alien enter their vessel, and now, the creature is killing everyone. The Nostromo’s mining mission was a red herring. Its real mission had been to find this alien all along and bring it to Earth. Ash, the crew’s science officer, betrayed them. He knew what the alien was the entire time and did nothing to warn the crew. Really, this was a dumb decision, even for a robot. It would’ve been smarter to tell the crew after Kane had been killed, so they would’ve had a better idea what they were dealing with, and at least, stood a better chance of containing the thing. But space robots Read More ›

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alien concept

Aliens Review, Part 3

Ripley saves the day

In the previous review, we talked about how the marines confronted the alien species and things didn’t go according to plan. Ripley had to drive a tank into the complex to rescue the marines, and they tried to call in a ship to take them off the planet. However, the ship crashed, leaving the survivors stranded. To make matters worse, one of the structures providing energy to the complex was damaged during the ship’s crash, and the whole place it set to blow in four hours. Bishop, the marines’ robot, goes to one of the facility’s satellites to call in another ship remotely, while the rest of the survivors barricade themselves in one of the complex’s rooms near the medical Read More ›

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young robot looking at baby in a stroller against starry sky, digital art style, illustration painting

Megan Review, Part 3

If you’re looking for a mind-numbing popcorn flick to pass the time, Megan is worth watching. 

In the previous review, Megan began her killing spree, but Gemma quickly figured out there was a problem with the robot and took her back to her lab. Cady was distraught about the loss of her favorite toy, but Gemma still brought the girl to the lab and made Cady talk with a social worker. Afterward, she and Cady had a heartfelt discussion about the loss of the child’s parents. Gemma takes Cady home. Meanwhile, the assistants bring Megan down to the lab, but the robot escapes. Megan makes a B-line for Gemma’s house, but along the way, she encounters Gemma’s employer, David. She quickly kills the boss and his assistant before stealing a car. David was a rather unlikable Read More ›

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AI risk and artificial intelligence technology as a human and machine concept with advanced tech or robots taking over humanity and people merging with a cyborg as an existential risk

Megan Review, Part 2

Happy Halloween! A killer doll breaks protocol.

Last time, we talked about how Gemma gave Cady, her niece, a robotic doll, Megan, to help her raise the child after Cady’s parents were killed. At first, things go smoothly enough, but then Megan is attacked by a dog. The writers seem to have given us two potential theories about what’s happening. The first is that the robot is going through some sort of awakening right at the beginning. Megan has overridden the various safety protocols put in place to keep the robot from hurting people, and it’s only pretending to be protective of Cady. The second option is that during this dog attack, the fail safes malfunction, and this enables the robot to go on its murderous rampage. Read More ›

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illustration of a technological eye, close up, future concept, generative ai

Megan Review, Part 1

An AI doll that does more than just play.

Since it’s nearing Halloween, I figured now would be a good time to review some Sci-Fi movies that dabble in the horror genre. Megan came out in 2022 and has been referred to as Chucky for Zoomers. The premise is the same as the horror movie, Child’s Play, from 1988: a child gets a doll. Doll turns psychotic and kills people. It’s pretty straightforward. However, Megan differs by adding a technological twist, calling back to the creepy Furbies, which came out in 1998. Really, those awful toys should’ve had a horror movie of their own. There are many a tale of the mechanical monsters waking up under the bed in the dead of night six months after the poor child Read More ›

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dunes in the mountains

Dune Review, Part One

Despite the cynical ways of the Bene Gesserit sect, a deeper providence guides the story in Dune.
Despite the cynical ways of the Bene Gesserit sect, a deeper providence guides the story in Dune. Read More ›
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The Flow of Time: A Close-Up Portrait of an Incomplete Humanoid Android Covered in White Porcelain Skin, Blue Eyes, and Glowing Internal Parts.

Westworld Episode 9 Review

Bernard learns the truth
Episode nine is fast paced, but if you’re paying attention, the grand twist is obvious, and I found it a little irritating. In the next review, we’ll discuss the conclusion of Westworld.  Read More ›
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Cyber security, AI Mind, Network Management, Modern Data Center, Cloud Networking, AI Generated Art

Evaluating Yuval Harari’s Dystopian Views on AI

Does AI spell the doom of democracy?

Will infotech and biotech erode human agency, subvert human desires, and render free-market economics obsolete? At first glance, there looks to be a wide gap between the future of AI and the destruction of democracy. Some futurists claim to have jumped that chasm. In a cheery little column published by The Atlantic, Yuval Noah Harari posits AI will ultimately destroy democracy and favor Digital Dictatorships. He notes that liberal democracies have been anomalies and that history tends to favor authoritarian governance. What is his argument and does it hold water? We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences and other videos. This video is just one of many you can find at the Bradley Center’s YouTube page. There Read More ›

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Female robot face, Artificial intelligence concept. Generative AI

Westworld: Episode 7 Review

In which Theresa makes a terrible discovery
This episode begins with Bernard having a flashback of his son. It’s a very sad scene that turns out to be a dream sequence. After that, we follow Theresa to Hale’s apartment. Read More ›
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銀河

Of AI and Aliens: Two Philosophers Give Their Thoughts

These sound minds are great resources to draw from in the chaos of our times
Sean McDowell of Biola University asked philosophers William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland what they thought of extraterrestrial life and its implications. Read More ›
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Milky way in Utah over the Green River from Swasey's Beach.

Westworld: Episode 6 Review

Maeve and the audience get some answers
In short, because the writers aren’t exactly sure how to explain the evolution of robot sentience, the viewers get mixed messages. Read More ›