How close were the Terminator films to the reality of 2011?

[Shadeyman]

The date 21 April 2011 has been prophesied in the Terminator series as Judgement Day, when the machines rise up and bring about the end of human society as we know it.
Artificial intelligence clearly has not developed in quite the way James Cameron's science-fiction franchise predicted, but how close are we to the technologies he depicted?
Central to the Terminator series is the idea of Skynet, the United States's "Global Digital Defense Network", which develops self-awareness and begins a nuclear war.
Western military forces have long relied on networks to distribute information, such as the US Department of Defense's system for sharing top-secret information - the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13159616

 

[DaveMcT]

Must be a slow news week or they've overspent the budget for Afganistan/Japan/Libya.

 

[Shadeyman]

I read the news online 2 or 3 times a day and its boring at the moment.

Most of it is about muslims killing each other while protesting. Nearly all the Middle East countries seem to be at it just lately.

Maybe the BBC thinks its boring too?

 

[Focus Owner]

i dropped a fence on a spray can of foam oil.
and the can burst quite a bit.
was a bit like the can attacked me

 

[DaveMcT]

 

[Ffoxy]

Four Lions looks epically funny!

 

[DaveMcT]

The crow had me wetting myself

 

[The Beard]

That seems to me to be an extension of the best of British humour when it comes to "war". We took the p**s out of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Hitler, Mussolini, The Soviets and the IRA/INLA/Real IRA and their ilk.

I also can't help thinking that the end of Monty Python's Life of Brian may have been an influence as well. I can't see this doing any harm to the image of young Muslims. Being able to laugh at yourself is a sign of maturity. We, the British, worked that out years ago.

Think I might be going to the pictures soon.

What was the question again? Oh yes.........................

 

[The Beard]

...................I remember now.

My Dad worked in the computer industry since he came out of the RAF in 1955 so was in at the very early stages. In the mid '70s I had a discussion with him about an LP I'd bought by Emerson, Lake and Palmer called Brain Salad Surgery (no I didn't understand it either) but the point is that there was a track on it called Karn Evil 9, and no, I didn't understand why it was called that either.

The track basically put forward a scenario where computers had taken over the world and Man's invention had decided that it (the computer) was making better decisions than its inventor. Eventually mankind wins out with the computer making the statement: "I'm perfect, are you?" A computer can of course only make "decisions" in line with what its programmer tells it.

On that basis, the Old Man said that the whole idea of computers taking over the world was a non-starter. Since then of course there have been many changes and processors are getting more and more powerful.

If the Terminator was programmed to kill/protect certain people then there is no reason that as long as the android (to call it that) technology was advanced enough that it couldn't happen.

Remember, computers can be programmed to look for almost anything when connected to CCTV. Drones (UAVs) can look for vehicles, people or locations and can record them.....or kill them.

 

[DaveMcT]

If its designed by people then other people will find a way to break it. Maybe this also applies if its designed by computer.

 

[cushioncreeper]

The date 21 April 2011 has been prophesied in the Terminator series as Judgement Day, when the machines rise up and bring about the end of human society as we know it.
Artificial intelligence clearly has not developed in quite the way James Cameron's science-fiction franchise predicted, but how close are we to the technologies he depicted?
Central to the Terminator series is the idea of Skynet, the United States's "Global Digital Defense Network", which develops self-awareness and begins a nuclear war.
Western military forces have long relied on networks to distribute information, such as the US Department of Defense's system for sharing top-secret information - the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13159616

Terminator's influence perhaps?


Of course, i robot follows a similar theme - that seems to expand on asimov's rules for robots

 

[DaveMcT]

:Offtopic: I prefered Hazel's "Will You" from Breaking Glass. the sax was sublime

 

[sludgeguts]

:Offtopic: I prefered Hazel's "Will You" from Breaking Glass. the sax was sublime

I agree, and she's still drawing the crowds. I wanted to go to one of her concerts this summer but the OH doesn't like her music.

 

[DaveMcT]

Can't you take your girlfriend?

 

[sludgeguts]

Can't you take your girlfriend?

You offering? :hug: