“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

That is Hal 9000, all-purpose spaceship computer, declining an order from an astronaut to open the reentry doors. The scene is from the 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” David Bowman, played by actor Keir Dullea, remains trapped in a small module, facing death.

The theme of machines taking control from people, eventually destroying them, is at least as old as the Industrial Revolution. The classic 1927 film “Metropolis” is another outstanding example. In the 19th century, Karl Marx seized on this threat to develop communist ideology, which proved vastly destructive in the 20th century.

Today, the current mania for artificial intelligence (AI) and reactions thereto bring up to date the theme of technology challenging humanity. Enormous amounts of capital are pouring into an array of companies pursuing AI. These range from mammoth established tech firms to others comprising little more........

© The Korea Times