Intelligent Machines in Fiction

Robots, androids, fembots, cyborgs, and man-made monsters. The history of intelligent machines in fiction is very long—over 200 years if we include Frankenstein, published in 1818. The creations have been both friendly (WALL-E, R2-D2, Data) and hostile (HAL 9000, Ava in Ex Machina, Skynet). Many of them appeared before the term artificial intelligence came into use in the 1950s. Writers didn’t need real-world examples of machine intelligence to imagine human-like beings that became self-aware and turned against their creators (a common theme). But now, science has given us machine learning algorithms, chatbots, and voice and image generators that mimic and, in some cases, exceed human capabilities. What does it mean for fiction?

Science fiction stories draw from some element(s) of science, even if very thin or barely articulated. Frankenstein was written during a time when the scientific community was fascinated with galvanism, or reanimating dead flesh using electricity. In the book Mary Shelley mentions a “spark of being” being infused into the lifeless form. Likewise, advances in science, such as the recent explosion in AI, provide a new basis and inspiration for science fiction.

The subgenre of near-future science fiction is more firmly rooted in science and has greater plausibility than sci-fi set in the far future. If well done, it can seem more visceral to the reader, triggering deeper reflection on a future that is foreseeable.

Two very different kinds of AI appear in my novel, Resurrection Earth: neural network-based machine learning and generative AI. Both technologies provide a basis for extrapolation that is plausible yet still highly speculative. Machine learning is manifested in a climate-controlling AI model, and generative AI in a conversational avatar. Like science fiction generally, the goal is not an accurate prediction of the future but an engaging thought experiment and gripping human drama.

An example of speculative extrapolation in Resurrection Earth is the lifelike 3D image of Rosie, the avatar named after Frank Rosenblatt, who created the first neural network -based computer called a Perceptron in 1957. Just as a holograph of Princess Leia was projected by R2-D2 in the original Star Wars movie, Rosie is projected through a new type of laser image generator which today can produce tiny floating images such as a butterfly. Once again, science follows science fiction. Combining laser imaging with generative AI chatbot tech yields a 3D conversational AI assistant, Rosie.

Another choice that must be made in near-future science fiction is how advanced to make the technology while maintaining a kernel of plausibility. Has the AI reached the level of artificial general intelligence (AGI)? If so, is it under human control? Is it benign or harmful? Resurrection Earth contains some answers, but there will be no spoilers here.

I hope you enjoyed these reflections on intelligent machines in fiction, and will enjoy Resurrection Earth. I’ll be delighted to hear your thoughts on the book. You can send me a message through the contact form on this site, and I’ll reply.

Stay curious,
Ed Burrows