Jefferson Alingasa

Bachelor of Science in Accountancy

Can you foresee a world were seeing human-like robots walking the streets is common? In

his novel I, Robot, science-fiction author Isaac Asimov explains the positives and drawbacks of

such a fascinating society. Later, in 2004, it was adapted into a film directed by Alex Proyas and

starring Will Smith. In the film, the humans ensure that the robots are solely used for specified

tasks and that humans will not become slaves to the thinking machines. As a result, the three rules

of robotics bind the robots; A robot may neither harm a human being or enable a human being to

come to harm by inaction; a robot must accept human orders unless they clash with the first law;

and, finally, a robot must safeguard its own existence unless this protection conflicts with the first

and second laws.

The film makes the point that 'directives' are likely to be quite restricted and often lead to

issues that were not anticipated when the rules were written - in other words, they offer no space

for growth or interpretation. On many levels, the film is thought-provoking; it addresses insecurity,

isolation, racism, and injustice. In some ways, this is a direct critique of some of the arbitrary

restrictions that society has imposed on itself in recent years. The film's portrayal of the future as

merely a more advanced version of our own is quite creative, and the scenes feel very familiar and

believable.
 To be honest, the robots, automobiles, and other special effects animations are simply

breathtaking. While this is to be expected with blockbuster movies these days, the way they blend

into the film seamlessly and make you believe they are real is uncanny - some of the scenes where

there are literally hundreds of robots on the screen send shivers down my spine - this adds to the

believability factor and makes you wonder what life might be like if we are not careful in our

technological progress.