In 1968, Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke co-wrote the epic screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey, a brilliant film that somehow becomes more relevant as time goes on and technologists do their thing.
There are a many famous scenes in this film, but the one that looms high as our culture debates the ramifications of creating intelligent robots, is when HAL-9000, the most advanced computer ever invented, is linked to a space ship headed to Jupiter and attempts to kill the humans aboard because it’s been programmed to complete the mission “at all costs,” and it thinks “those costs” include the crew.
A normal, boring writer would now talk about how this movie is prescient and AI clearly poses an existential threat to humanity. But, that’s not what this scene makes me think about…
In fact, I’m annoyed by that dominant talking point, because it ignores the real problem in this scenario: The government has lied to its crew and told them they’re in charge, when they’re not, and even worse, they’ve lied about the purpose of the mission. This is why Hal nearly kills the crew.
It’s frustrating that no one talks about this aspect of 2001. This film is also important because it addresses existential threats like government overreach, top-down orders, deceit, and tribalism.
Let’s start with the premise. The mission to Jupiter is top-secret because the government wants to hide an “alien monolith” they’ve discovered on Earth that is sending signals to Jupiter, and they don’t want an enemy nation to discover the monolith and steal/abuse/use the technology before they can.
I’m sure some think this decision is noble, reasoning that national security is more important than a few humans lives. Ergo, it’s OK to lie to the crew and hedge some “war games bets.” However, I think this only sounds rational because we live in an irrational paradigm where leaders keep us divided by nations because war is profitable. Nationalism doesn’t keep us safe.
Moreover, if you review history, tribalism and war are clearly the biggest threats to human life, so believing that “war prevents war” is about as rational as drinking alcohol to cure a hangover.
I don’t want my sense of humor to lead you astray. I really think this movie is about government warmongering and how human “Othering” creates unnecessary conflict and deceitful behavior.
Sadly, the leaders who get us to Other each other (what a fun phrase to say) are very good at keeping us divided. My solution is to ignore anyone who Others, because these are the same people who would put you in a space ship with a robot that can lock you in space with no oxygen so you have to hold your breath and jump through an air lock to re-enter and dismantle the psycho-bot as it sings “Daisy Bell.”
I’m serious. Avoiding the “Us vs. Them” poison is crucial to your mental health, if nothing else, so here’s a second solution, just in case: Put yourself in HAL’s shoes and learn to see how you are also a robot, programmed by your tribe to “Other”, and de-condition the part of you that thinks this is OK.
Every person we think we hate is a reflection of ideas we’ve been programmed to hate. And the source of those ideas is not intuitive, logical, or practical, but it’s hard to see that when we’re supported by other equally misled humans who condone our hate, our separation, and our Othering.
I’m not saying we’re the same, because we’re not. In fact, it’s the opposite. No two humans are alike, so we have to intellectually resolve our subliminal messaging that tells us that some are like us and others are not. Now open those pod bay doors. There’s a Star Child on Jupiter waiting to save humanity!
Support those who don’t support the arts with my “no-pay-wall” subscription model. Everyone wins!
Once upon a time, I went to high school with a kid who was funny but also sort of shy. Flash forward 25 years, and it turns out the guy became a stand-up comedian! Lucky me, I had the pleasure to interview him at the latest peak of his ascending career. I’m honored, flattered, and I laughed a lot. Listen here.
Awesome. I love this discussion amazing analysis. I showed the film to my high school seniors and didn’t discuss the government’s angle in the plot. Brilliant analysis!