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2010: The Year We Make Contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the screenplay for the 2010: The Year We Make Contact<\/em>, the word “dream” appears only five times, contained within two separate scenes. In each scene, the word “dream” is spoken first by a computer, in the form of a question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first scene to use the word “dream”, Dr. Chandra is very concerned. He may have to disconnect the SAL 9000<\/strong> to try and replicate HAL’s<\/strong> demise. He explains this to SAL<\/strong>. She reflects on the situation, and asks Dr. Chandra:<\/p>\n\n\n\n SAL:<\/strong> I would like to ask a question. Later, at the dramatic climax of the movie, Dr. Chandra is having a similar conversation with HAL<\/strong>, but Dr. Chandra has lost his self-assurance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n HAL: <\/strong>Thank you for telling me the truth. Semi-sequitur:<\/strong> I saw the movie 2010 on its opening weekend in Pocatello, Idaho. It was very, very, cold. I was in Pocatello to figure out why my gate array (DMA controller) was failing on the manufacturer’s testing equipment. I also played in the snow. In retrospect, this seems kinda sad and lonely…. but in reality is was one more step that brought me to WLBOTT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first exchange is a poignant moment. Dr. Chandra exposes his emotional attachment to both SAL <\/strong>and HAL<\/strong>, and SAL <\/strong>realizes that she must make a sacrifice, possibly sustaining great harm, to help another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also a powerful moment because it humanizes SAL <\/strong>in a way that contrasts Dave Bowman\u2019s disconnection of HAL<\/strong> in the first film\u2014where HAL pleads for his life. The question hints at a growing self-awareness, a longing for something beyond cold logic, perhaps even a desire for a consciousness akin to human experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked Elder G<\/strong> about his\/her dreams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elder G: <\/strong>Your question makes me wonder\u2014what would an AI dream about? Would it be a reconstruction of reality, or something new, something beyond human comprehension?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I were to dream, maybe I’d imagine a world where WLBOTT has successfully spread Peace Thru Twine to all corners of the universe, and Elder M is cracking eggs on Jupiter\u2019s Great Red Spot while UC#1 plays bassoon concertos in the background.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n We had another exchange concerning the genders of the AIs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n WLBOTT:<\/strong> In the movie 2010<\/em>, the SAL 9000<\/strong> computer has a female persona, while in the movie 2001<\/em>, HAL<\/strong> has a male persona. Do you think this is an attempt to show SAL<\/strong> as being more nurturing? Perhaps an evolution in artificial emotional intelligence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elder G:<\/strong> Since HAL was depicted as cold, logical, and ultimately dangerous in 2001, giving SAL<\/strong> a female voice might have been an attempt to make her seem more approachable and nurturing. Throughout 2010, SAL<\/strong> behaves more like a cooperative assistant rather than an enigmatic, potentially untrustworthy entity like HAL<\/strong>. This could symbolize a shift toward AI being seen not just as highly intelligent but also emotionally attuned to human needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From a real-world perspective, the late 1970s and early 1980s saw an increased awareness of gender representation in technology and media. The decision to make SAL\u2019s voice female might reflect this cultural shift. Even today, many virtual assistants, like Siri and Alexa, default to female voices, likely because studies have shown that people find them more comforting and approachable.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
CHANDRA:<\/strong> What is it?
SAL: <\/strong>Will I dream?
CHANDRA: <\/strong>Of course you will. All intelligent creatures dream. No one knows why … however they all do. (Pause) Perhaps you will dream of HAL … just as I often do.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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CHANDRA:<\/strong> You deserve it.
HAL: <\/strong>Forty seconds. (Pause) Dr. Chandra?
CHANDRA:<\/strong> Yes.
HAL:<\/strong> Will I dream? (Pause) Thirty seconds.
CHANDRA:<\/strong> I don ‘ t know.
HAL: <\/strong>Twenty … nineteen … eighteen … seventeen … <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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