Let Me Tell You About My Robot Best Friend: A.I. Companionship and Relationships Onscreen

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The American Cinematheque is proud to present this series as part of Science on Screen®, a unique film series that allows audiences to experience the intersection of film and science on the big screen. All films will be accompanied by a Q&A with a scientific expert in the field!

Growing by leaps and bounds, the technology of artificial intelligence has delivered higher and higher functionality and become a facet of our everyday lives. There are robot vacuums, robot delivery carts milling about on the streets, and soon self-driving cars will be the norm. But how close are we as a society to completely blurring the lines between human and A.I. relationships? Will robots fully integrate into our society as counterparts? Or family members? Will they police our cities? Become our partners?

Throughout its history, cinema has sought to predict the shape and nature of these relationships, delving into the ethics around them. They appear on screen as cops, children of grieving parents, sexual partners, or simply companions to the lonely. Through this series, we will explore the various dynamics that could very well be possible in films that have formed their own opinions about our future with A.I. and super-intelligent robots. There is much to dissect before and after viewing films that take up this theme: the functioning of complex networked systems, the latest A.I. innovations, behavioral science, and machine learning.

An initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.