AI

After watching the movie Artificial Intelligence, I asked myself many questions about what it means to be human. I also asked myself if being human is necessary for being treated with respect. In other words, should the only things we treat like humans be actual human beings? Finally, I asked myself what Spielberg was trying to convey in this movie and whether or not I agree with him.

When it comes to the question of what it means to be human, I find myself leaning towards Dennet's side. I think that if a something is able think, act, respond and communicate like other human beings, we should treat is as such. It does not matter what said being is made of. As far as I am concerned, it could be made of string cheese and leather. As long as is behaves like a human, we should treat it as one. Searle would argue that in AI, David did not behave like any other human being, and this is because he was made from fiber and metal. I disagree. While David obviously did not have complete understanding of what was going on around him (i.e. when he pulls the real son into the water and refuses to let go), there are many humans who are not fully aware. Many people with severe mental disabilities are far less aware than David, and the vast majority of people would argue that these are still human beings. Therefore, I would argue that David's wish had already come true; he was a real, human boy

I think that Spielberg would agree with my view of what it means to be human. He makes it quite obvious that David should be treated like any other boy. However, I do not think that this is the message he is trying to send in this film. Instead, I think he is trying to warn us about what technology can do to us if we are not careful, and what kind of problems it can lead to. As we see at the end of the film, New York City is completely underwater, which is showing what might happen in the future due to global warming.