Science fiction is full of stories of the quest for the Holy Grail of artificial intelligence: creating a computer whose programming is so complex that it can flawlessly interact with humans on a social and emotional level and even begin to "feel" emotions. Alongside the fascination with the potential of a machine that can truly "think" like a human is the anxiety that such a machine could replace a person. After all, if every person had the option to purchase their ideal, custom-made, indistinguishable-from-a-human spouse, how could a flawed, flesh-and-blood human spouse compete? The response to this question in fiction differs greatly by nation. Modern science fiction from America and Japan has provided two answers:
First, that dabbling in AI technology is dangerous, selfish, and an affront to humanity. In 2009, Film and television director Joss Whedon (probably best known for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer) created a series for Fox Television called Dollhouse, which focused on an underground business called "The Dollhouse" that reprograms the brains of their human employees (known as "dolls") to suit the needs and desires of the buyer. The premise begins with some playful what-ifs (what if you could order a customized lover? an assassin? a girl programmed to act exactly like your dead wife?) but soon shifts focus to the larger implications of developing technology that can change the functions of the human brain. If the mind of a person can be quantified and expressed on a disc, and that disc can be physically destroyed, what is the value of the human mind? Furthermore, if a personality can be put on a disc and downloaded to another body, what is the value of the original body? What we Americans traditionally think of as "freedom"- the right to make our own decisions and to not be exploited by others- does not exist in the world of The Dollhouse. The series ends with the hard-won triumph of individual freedom at the cost of technological advancement. This moral (freedom within society is better than an elite society with too much government control) can be seen in countless American films, books, and television series.
Japan has a different take on the question of AI. The 2001 manga (Japanese comic) series Chobits takes place in a near-future Japan where customizable robots have become a normal part of society. These robots, called "Persocoms", look, speak, and feel exactly like humans except for cat-ear-like metal hubs on the sides of their heads. These AI are capable not only of blending in with humans, but they can perform internet searches, do calculations, and print maps.. sound familiar? Probably because a persocom basically functions like a sexy girl with an iPhone in her head. Human-persocom marriage is legal, and humans are starting to program their mates exactly as they want them instead of dating other humans. There are moments in the story when the human characters wonder about the worth of their bodies and personalities when they're surrounded by perfect robots, but for the most part everyone is happy to live and love in this new, robotic world. This response is very Japanese response to the AI problem: technological progress for the good of society as a whole is worth the discomfort an individual experiences when they realize that all the AI around them are smarter, better-looking, and more useful than they are. Chobits may have the potential to become prophecy. Japan currently struggles with a negative birth rate and a young generation that is more interested in the anonymous comforts of the Internet than in socializing with other people. Contemporary Japanese film and fiction is full of stories of young people being brainwashed and even killed by their computers, reflecting the anxiety of the older, non-tech-saavy generation.
Since the cautionary tales of man-made life forms ("golems") in the Old Testament, humanity has worried about the potentially disastrous effects of creating artificial life. Modern science fiction has sought an answer to the AI question over and over again, from I, Robot to Wall-E. Whether artificial intelligence will result in the end of humanity or a society where humans and robots get along just fine, only time will tell.
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