How 2010s Media Imagined AI

I’ve recently been fascinated by fictional depictions of artificial intelligence in media before the release of ChatGPT and other AI applications. Similar to flying cars and robots taking over the world, artificial intelligence has been a looming, dark cloud of futuristic possibilities for the last few decades. In some cases, it’s seen as a beacon of hope rather than a method of destruction. I really wanted to explore the different ways early media explored artificial intelligence and ponder on the likelihood that those scenarios become reality.

Last month, I reread Scythe by Neil Shusterman which absolutely blew my mind. I first read the book in eighth grade, and was more interested in the action than the moral significance of the fictional world. But revisiting it in 2025 felt so eerie, because what once was a made up concept is now a very real presence in our everyday lives.

In the book, the world has achieved “the Age of Immortality” where humans no longer die natural deaths and have the ability to “turn the corner” and make themselves look 25 again even well into their 100s. They are able to achieve this with the Thunderhead, which is described as “the Cloud evolved into a natural, breathing being.” It’s an AI governing body with infinite access to society, every record and every street camera, even people’s minds. The main driving concept of the book is Scythes, which are people selected to “glean” (i.e kill) a set number of individuals each year to control the world’s population. 

As a fourteen year old, this felt as abstract as the Hunger Games or Divergent, but now it strangely feels like a possible reality. What would happen to the world if we gave AI access to everything? If AI was our governing body, making major decisions in every facet of our lives? Would it improve things, or spin them out of control?

In Scythe, it’s a near utopia, a perfect world where humans can live forever and never experience pain, both physical and mental. One thing that is noted is the lack of inherent purpose people feel. The art in the Age of Immortality lacks the beauty and abstractness that is achieved through passion and extreme emotions. The people have jobs, but it’s simply busywork. Some have families, but they live forever and get remarried every few centuries.

This really made me think about how the integration of artificial intelligence into our society could impact humanity. Do the people in Scythe even qualify as humans? What does it mean to be human, if one lacks emotional and physical pain and lives forever under the watchful eye of a non-human entity? It’s such an interesting concept, and I don’t think there are any right or wrong answers. In the case of Scythe, the Thunderhead’s ‘perfect world,’ still has flaws, like human corruption and abuse of power.

The concept also reminded me of the 100, which is a wonderfully written, suspenseful dystopian show. The main storyline is about how after an all out nuclear war, Earth became uninhabitable and a few humans were able to escape to outer space. After a century, a group of one hundred (hence, the show’s name) teenagers are sent down to earth to see if it’s habitable.

In the third season, it is revealed that an artificial intelligence called A.L.I.E released the first nuclear missile in an attempt to ‘fix’ the world through population control and environmental rebirth. This is what led to the all out war that destroyed the planet, save for a few radiation immune humans. The 100 depicts the classic “evil AI” storyline, where chips are planted in the characters brains that send their consciousness to a virtual utopia devoid of pain in exchange for A.L.I.E’s total control over their mind and body. 

I think this case of artificial intelligence is also extremely interesting, because even without giving the AI permission, it took drastic measures to “save the world.” It makes me wonder if AI will ever be able to simulate human empathy, and decide against taking the efficient but morally incorrect path. In this show, A.L.I.E fully believes that what she is doing is right, a necessary evil to reach utopia, while the main characters battle against this seemingly all-knowing, all-powerful being. 

It’s so fascinating that shows and books were able to capture the moral dilemma of artificial intelligence before its creation. The varying good and bad outcomes and roles it can take in society, as a governing body by choice or by force.

It reminds me of Radiohead’s OK Computer, which tackles humanity’s connection to the modern world and loss of human emotion and empathy with the rise of technology. The first track, Airbag, poetically captures Thom Yorke’s rivalling emotions after being saved by an airbag when nearly dying in a car accident. Similarly, Fitter Happier describes how the modern world is materialistic but lacks inherent purpose. The production of the album blends modern technology with classic rock, a mix of synthesized computer noises and raw instrumentals. Even though it was released in 1997, I think OK Computer is relevant now more than ever. The lyrics eloquently convey technology's range of impact, from saving lives to causing irreversible detachment from humanity. 

This blog was more word vomit than anything, but these different storylines and opinions on the role of artificial intelligence in society have been extremely interesting to me lately, especially as I study AI more in my computer science classes. The many positives and negatives, how it can save humanity but also destroy it, feels as fictional as it does inevitable. I wonder if there will ever be a way to balance the two, if there’s a way that AI can improve lives while still allowing us to maintain our sense of humanity and individualism.

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