sumeragi on 17/7/2004 at 09:50
Today I decided to see the movie I, Robot. Quality of the movie aside (hint: not very good), a few things about it seemed a little too familiar for my liking. Please bear in mind that I'm about the last person to cry plagiarism, but this seemed like more than a passing similarity.
{Spoilers for the movie ahead. Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled.}
[spoiler]Okay, first off, the damn AI's name is VIKI. Make of that what you will.
Secondly, the special effects they used for her face looked almost exactly like our dear SHODAN, particularly when they animated her talking. It may be a cliche to have the calm, female-voiced robotic guide, but this was down to detail.
Thirdly, just take a look at the plot regarding the AI.
I, Robot: AI is hacked to no longer obey ethical laws, becomes evil, decides to take over human corporation with an army of robots.
System Shock: AI is ... well, you know the rest.
Not to mention the use of nanites, and the general way in which they deactivated her.
[/spoiler]
Am I a conspiracy theorist? Not really, but I'd be curious to see what other System Shock fans who saw the movie thought.
Kolya on 17/7/2004 at 10:21
I don't know about the sfx since I haven't seen the movie nor read a review or anything. But my first guess was that it would prolly follow the (
http://www.iit.edu/~cs485/reports/asimovsi.htm) book by Isaac Asimov.
This would rule out plagiarism on part of the story.
Apart from that any discussion dealing with movies, etc. plagiarising sshock always had the drawback that system shock itself is a assemblage of references or outright copied elements. Somehow this doesn't diminish it's state as a great pair of games though. :sweat:
Kolya
sumeragi on 17/7/2004 at 19:40
it barely follows Asimov's short stories of the same name. they just tacked on the name and a couple elements from them, but the plot is something completely different.
Pistol Pete on 17/7/2004 at 20:32
I have not yet see that movie, nor do I plan on ever paying to see it. I'll watch it at someone's house, or on a premium channel, if it's offered there, but I can't accept a movie that seems to so blatantly ignore the main concept of a great piece of literature. I have a friend who just graduated from Carnegie Mellon, with a degree in Robotic Engineering no less, so maybe I should mention the movie to him tonight, just to see if he blows his top.
Eshaktaar on 17/7/2004 at 21:45
I, Robot is a collection of short stories, which are told by a 'Robopsychologist' during an interview. Each of these stories show a different aspect how the Three Laws of Robotics can cause unsolvable conflicts for robots (at least that's what I remember).
I bet the movie has hardly anything to do with that.
Pistol Pete on 17/7/2004 at 21:48
Are you sure that good 'ole Issac didn't include a few car chase scenes, and one-liners, in those short stories?
Eshaktaar on 17/7/2004 at 21:53
Well, maybe they'll include that in the book based on the movie based on the original book.
Shevers on 18/7/2004 at 10:45
Quote Posted by Eshaktaar
I, Robot is a collection of short stories, which are told by a 'Robopsychologist' during an interview. Each of these stories show a different aspect how the Three Laws of Robotics can cause unsolvable conflicts for robots (at least that's what I remember).
I bet the movie has hardly anything to do with that.
With Will Smith in it? :erm: I'm inclined to agree with you. My guess is it will be as intelligent as Will Smith jumping into a car and driving around in a circle saying 'Boom. Hee hee hee. Me funny. Wobots naughty'. :sweat:
The future's bleak.
:sly:
RootbeerTapper on 18/7/2004 at 11:23
Okay let me point out a few things
[SPOILER]VIKI does not look like shodan at all. VIKI's face consists of binary/misc characters that scroll across the screen in an animated pattern. When VIKI's lips moved certain frames of code would remain where they were to create her lip synching[/SPOILER]
[SPOILER]Second: VIKI has a female voice because it is soothing and attractive to the ear. Humans willl listen to a nurturing caring voice then that of a male.[/SPOILER]
[SPOILER]The Nestor-5's were not hacked there automatic updates software was simply rerouted to no longer take orders from USR themselves but directly from VIKI. And the whole thing about robots evolving is true. There have been segments of unexplainable code found in some systems of computers that are put there due to an error and when these different erroros of code have piled up they sometimes fuse together and it cant be explained. If you are questioning me on a robot or computers evolution then perhaps you should read the article that was released by Windows and how they have found data that is spawned in there software from over the constant use of it [/SPOILER]
The Author of I, Robot had A.I. like VIKI in his stories so what makes you think that Fox did a rip off of shodan or if LG did a rip off of Isaac Asimov's A.I.? Thats some food for thought.
RootbeerTapper on 18/7/2004 at 11:43
For information
The Nestor-5 Information site can be found at
(
http://www.NS-5.com) www.NS-5.com
The NS-5 is a fictional A.I. robot it doesnt exist and wont exist for atleast 4 years but FOX studios along with some of the fans of I, Robot would like to see the FADA project developed. (Fully Automated Domestic Assistance)
There are robots that exist similar to the NS-5 there used by health clinics and rented out to senior citizens living at home to help them reach items and get around the house even home secuirty and 911 alertness. So the machine quality of the NS-5 very closely exists but the A.I. of the NS-5 is ahead of its time. But humans are close to seeing the day when a robot will walk right up to you and ask how are you feeling today? Give it 4-10 years and maybe the NS-5 will be in your house. The question is: what will you do with yours?
Cheers
Tapper
