Reflection on Colossus

In his article Natural Theology, Paley discussed the differences between nature and technology. In my previous post I discussed how technology, although constantly changing, will always be accepted into our society as long as we humans have need for it.

Colossus the Forbin Project is an amazing piece of cinema that demonstrates this concept. The super computer Colossus, created by the talented Charles Forbin, is entrusted with the fate of the world. It has the ability to monitor all forms of communications and analyze every piece of data. With this, it uses its superior computer logic to determine whether or not an attack on the United States is going to happen. If it does find an attack possible, then it uses it’s weaponry to thwart the attack and thus protect the American people.

As one can see Colossus is given a lot of power. This demonstrates how comfortable mankind is with technology. In this film, mankind is so comfortable with technology that they’re willing to give up their rights of privacy and arm a super computer with its own devastating, nuclear weaponry. The President approves of this for he is acting on what he thinks is right. To him, a computer can already make communications easier, or ease the processes of computation. Why can’t a computer also ease the defense of a nation?

Colossus demonstrates the dangers of becoming comfortable with machines. Although we can easily become accepting of them, this is not always a good thing. In the film, Colossus evolves from being a computer to an individual. At first, it is given tasks and is expected to obey them. In the end, however, it becomes its own individual that gives humans task and expects them to obey him. To what extent are we willing to become comfortable with machines? Surely, we can easily accept them to be tools of the trade, but what about when they evolve beyond that? When machines start thinking and mimicking us are we still accepting of them?

Many other Science fiction movies have touched on this idea, namely I Robot and the Matrix. We can’t help but conclude that the idea of a machine that acts like a human is an eerie thought. This is in part what makes Colossus so frightening. What frightens the viewer and the characters is the fact that Colossus becomes its own being. The second Colossus starts demanding communication with Guardian and demanding his own voice, we feel scared and almost helpless. The characters in the film try their best to outwit the machine, but they just can’t.

What I find even more interesting about this film is the creator vs. creation concept. Despite how dire the situation is and how clear Colossus is in control, it is amazing how nonchalant Dr. Forbin is able to be. In some cases it’s as if he’s almost proud of his creation and the fact that it has become advanced enough to practically rule the world. When Forbin is made a prisoner it’s as if he doesn’t even try to fight back. Throughout a majority of the movie it seems as if Forbin is willing to let Colossus take control. He takes demands from Colossus without question and seems to believe that Colossus always knows what is right. Only when his friends are murdered by the machine, does he begin to question if Colossus truly is the right course for humanity to follow.

As a Computer Scientist myself, I can relate to Forbin’s thinking. Programs take a long time to create and when finished I always leave with that feeling of accomplishment. I’m proud of my work. Often, after an assignment is done I can’t help but go back and play with what I’ve created. When programming you feel like you’re almost a god. You feel like you’re exploring human thought and mimicking an ability that we thought only humans are capable of. Forbin was essentially doing the same thing but on a much larger scale. He was dealing with thinking beyond human thought. Colossus was a project to build much more than a simple process; it was almost as if Forbin was expected to create a god.

It’s easy to see how Forbin can become so attached to his work. In the process of constructing a god, he becomes extremely attached to Colossus. In the opening scene we can really see this. When Forbin is leaving the computer and setting up his security, he seems rather sad. It’s as if he’s watching a child graduate from high school. To Forbin, Colossus is his child and he feels a need to protect it and help it become integrated into society.

Humanity is always willing to accept technology as long as we have a use for it. Yet, as Colossus demonstrates, we can only accept so much from technology. Although it is true that technology simplifies life for us, there reaches a point where we humans have to function on our own without technologies help. There is a natural boundary between humans and machines. Once a machine starts acting like a human, a boundary must be drawn. It’s been said that thinking is the most dangerous thing a man can do. What often helps us cope with our thoughts and do what is morally correct is our emotions. Machines can never obtain emotion, yet can think and come to logical conclusions far superior to our own. With that in mind, we must realize that machines capable of thinking are quite dangerous. It is here that we must draw the line. As Colossus demonstrates, the acceptance of thinking machines into society can prove to be the beginning of our end.

Reflection on Paley

Are machines able to coexist with us in our world? This is the question I can’t help but ask myself when I read Paley’s Natural theology. In his opening, palely discusses how a stone is quite different from a watch. If one were to come across a stone while walking about, he/she would not question it. A stone is part of nature, therefore it doesn’t startle a person if they see one; they just except it for being there. However, if one were to come across a watch, then questions arise. How did the watch get there? Who made it? Why is it here? Paley’s argues that this shows how machines are quite different form nature.

Personally, I believe that Paley’s article is somewhat dated and that machines are becoming a large part of nature. In some cases, they take preferences over nature. For instance, if you were walking down a city street and encountered a watch, would it really be a surprise? Broken watches and gadgets are all around the city. Batteries, broken phones, shoes, and many “unnatural” objects are strewn about the city streets. However, if we were walking down a city street and encountered a rock, wouldn’t that raise questions? How did a rock get into the city? More so what is it doing on this city street?

We humans have become comfortable with technology and have thus embedded it in our culture. Technology is now a part of us and is rapidly advancing. Despite these advancements, we are advancing with technology as well. I believe that how natural something is for us depends on how long it has been in our world.

As a child, I remember seeing a computer at a friend’s house and being completely fascinated. After all, my family didn’t have a computer and nor did anyone else really. Nowadays though, that excitement has died down tremendously. Virtually every household has a computer and I’ve seen dozens of computers throughout my life time. When I enter a friend’s house there is no excitement over the presence of a computer, in fact it’s almost expected that they have a computer.

During the 1830’s, when Paley was writing, watches weren’t as common as they are now a day. Back then men cherished their watches and they were somewhat of a luxury. Thus, they were somewhat “rare”, and seeing a watch left in public was the equivalent to finding a laptop left on a street in today’s world.

The more we become acquainted with technology the more we become use to it and accept it as part of our world. In Paley’s time, watches were rare and a luxury; nowadays, they play a huge role. Although watches are somewhat outdated, the concept of time that they spawned is everywhere. Our society lives off of time. Time, a thought contrived by man and brought forth by technology, has become so natural to us that it has been incorporated into physics equations, mathematical definitions and many other things that we use to define nature.

As humans we are given the gift of thought and creation. With that in mind it is almost silly to not consider technology apart of nature. Technology is the very essence of our creative passion it’s a phenomenal way in which we humans can express our ability to think and create. Technology will always be foreign to us when in it’s early stages, but in time, we’ll find technology to be a valuable addition to our ever changing world and slowly accept it as a part of our nature.