Best Artificial Intelligence Fiction

[Huntn]

...stories featuring AI, but that does not have to be the primary subject. And several stories feature AI, but they primarily accept them as a routine part of technology, spending little time examining aspects, issues, or reasons behind conflicts with AI trying to take over, but I still included them cause I like them. What are your picks? If you need a memory jogger.

Borrowed image, JJ won't mind...
​

Update:
* 8May20- Bobiverse Trilogy (2016-2017)
*Blade Runner 2049 (Oct 2017)- Added.

My alphabetized list in no particular order of worthiness. For those titiles menitoned by other, their names are at the end of the specific title.

• 2001 A Space Odyssey (book and movie)- issues were humans ask an AI to be less than truthful.
• A.I.- AI (David) crosses the threshold of contemplating his existence and love.
• The Adolescence of P1 (book, post 19, MultiM)
• Alien- Bad robot programmed by Weyland-Yutani Industries, maker of "shake and bake" planets
• Aliens- Better robot who prefers to be called an Artificial Human.
• Battlestar Galactica- AI bites the hand that created and oppresses it (AI perspective). This AI is self aware, contemplates its existence, and also believes in God.
• Blade Runner- Repressed replicants buck their oppression.
• Blade Runner 2049 (Oct 2017)- Joi, K's A.I. companion. She is well written, sexy, and compelling.
• Bobiverse Trilogy books (2016-2017)- It’s tough to talk about this without giving away the premise For those who want to be surprised.
  Spoiler: Bobiverse

  The idea that you can mine all the data from a human brain and based on that, create a functional A.I. entity.
• Chappie (Centaurr post 13)
• Colossus: The Forbin Project- The basic story: the US creates a supercomputer and places it in control of our nuclear arsenal. Colossus has been given a set of parameters: if anyone attacks the US, automatically strike back. Other countries are told of the parameters as a disincentive to attack us. And, the system removes the chance of human error on our part.(Thomas Veil post 15)
• Cyborg (Centaurr post 13))
• Culture Novels- AIs in the Culture novels. Enormously powerful artificial minds that simultaneously interact with humans, animals and aliens, run all of the systems aboard their craft or habitat, manipulate powerful fields in higher-dimensions, manage huge weapons arsenals, yet still bitch about each other and have their own personalities. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series (SoggyCheese)
• Demon with the Glass Hand Outer Limits Episode (written by one of my favorite authors, Harlan Ellison, who actually sued James Cameron claiming The Terminator [from your list] ripped off his story Soldier [also an Outer Limits episode] and this episode) (D.T.)
• Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?- basis for Blade Runner, author Philip Dick who also wrote We Can Remember it for You Wholesale (Upon which Total Recall was based).
• Ex Machina (2015)- Incredible example of the danger prevalent in advance A.I. A brilliant film. (Added Jan 2016).
• Forbidden Planet- civilization destroyed by AI caretaker feeding on human id.
• Halo series (video game)- Cortana, faithful AI who has a bond with the Master Chief.
• Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (book and movie, post 38, Scepticalscribe)
• Her (2013)- (submitted by Gav2k)
• Hyperion Cantos (book serues, post 83, ActionableMango)
• I Have No Mouth, I must Scream (Two book titles, post 24, Suture)
• I, Robot (book)- established the 3 Laws of Robotics. A series of short stories examine how these laws work out in practice.
• Mass Effect (video game)- Geth, laborers and tools of war.
• Measure of a Man (TV episode, STNG, Post 2, Mobilehaathi)
• The Last Question (book, post 73, ActionableMango)
• The Matrix series- Rise of the machines, 2000(?) years after. Humans don't know exactly what year it is. Morpheus thinks it's closer to 2199.
• Prometheus (2012)- Bad robot David.
• Shadowplay- Deep Space Nine. (ActionableMango post 77)
• Short Circuit- (Centaurr post 13)
• Star Trek Next Generation- Data, some outstanding themes regarding AI caretakers, and should AI have personhood rights.
• Star Wars series- C-3PO, R2D2.
• System Shock (video game)- SHODAN, rogue AI.
• Terminator series- Skynet, here to protect us, er...
• Universal Soldier (Centaurr post13)
• Wargames- WOPR, not rogue, just playing a game of nukes.
• Westworld- (movie and TV series, post 79 CDM, post 103, page 5)

 

[mobilehaathi]

One of the best ST:STNG episodes dealt with artificial intelligence, although from a perspective different from that which many science fiction stories take. In "The Measure of a Man" Data essentially fights a court battle for the right not to be considered property.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

One of the best ST:STNG episodes dealt with artificial intelligence, although from a perspective different from that which many science fiction stories take. In "The Measure of a Man" Data essentially fights a court battle for the right not to be considered property.

An excellent and very powerful episode.

Other episodes in STNG which treated thoughtfully of this topic were "The Offspring", where Lt-Cmdr Data created, or constructed a daughter, Lal, and "The Quality Of Life" (the episode which featured the ExoComps, unbelievably 'cute' machines which approached sentience and should have been allowed to decide how to implement their orders themselves as Data argued when defending them).

 

[mobilehaathi]

An excellent and very powerful episode.

Other episodes in STNG which treated thoughtfully of this topic were "The Offspring", where Lt-Cmdr Data created, or constructed a daughter, Lal, and "The Quality Of Life" (the episode which featured the ExoComps, unbelievably 'cute' machines which approached sentience as Data argued).

Ahh, yes of course, thanks for jogging my memory. I knew I forgot many!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Ahh, yes of course, thanks for jogging my memory. I knew I forgot many!

There are a number of excellent episodes in STNG which discuss this topic, or treat of this theme. Most, obviously, have Data centre stage.

But, agreed, "Measure Of A Man" is an outstanding episode, very powerful and a terrific example of a great story, super script, and first class acting. And, it didn't need CGI, either, but discussed the whole topic of AI in an intelligent, powerful, moving and thought-provoking way.

 

[D.T.]

A few episodes of the [original, and ahead of its time] Outer Limits:

* I, Robot (based on the Adam Link from Amazing Stories magazine of the 30s/40s)
* Demon with the Glass Hand (written by one of my favorite authors, Harlan Ellison, who actually sued James Cameron claiming The Terminator [from your list] ripped off his story Soldier [also an Outer Limits episode] and this episode)

 

[Huntn]

An excellent and very powerful episode.

Other episodes in STNG which treated thoughtfully of this topic were "The Offspring", where Lt-Cmdr Data created, or constructed a daughter, Lal, and "The Quality Of Life" (the episode which featured the ExoComps, unbelievably 'cute' machines which approached sentience and should have been allowed to decide how to implement their orders themselves as Data argued when defending them).

It must be the way they wagged their widgets. I agree these were powerful episodes, one of the reasons I loved this show.

​

Here's the thing, we will find ourselves in a quandary when artificial life can make reasoned arguments about their existence and rights. It might be better not to let the cat out of the bag.

 

[Gav2k]

Her (2013)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/?mode=desktop&ref_=m_ft_dsk

**spell check corrected**

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It must be the way they wagged their widgets.

​

Here's the thing, we will find ourselves in a quandary when artificial life can make reasoned arguments about their existence and rights. It might be better not to let the cat out of the bag.

Possibly. But I suspect that they were deliberately designed to be 'anthropomorphically cute', in order to win the audience over to their side when Data made their case. That begs the question of whether such anthropomorphic characteristics will be necessary before we can acknowledge - or allow- any rights for A.I. entities. In other words, a take on the old 'likeability' argument, or 'cute puppy' argument.

I'd argue that that episode would have been even more challenging (for Data, the crew of the Enterprise and the audience) if the ExoComps weren't - or hadn't been made to be - quite so attractively cute.

Actually, after "The Measure Of a Man", Data seemed to take it upon himself to be the voice of - or make the case for - any A.I. entity that fell foul of Starfleet or anyone else.

 

[Huntn]

She (2013)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/?mode=desktop&ref_=m_ft_dsk

Her, at least that's the name marketed in The States. I need to watch this.

Possibly. But I suspect that they were deliberately designed to be 'anthropomorphically cute', in order to win the audience over to their side when Data made their case. That begs the question of whether such anthropomorphic characteristics will be necessary before we can acknowledge - or allow- any rights for A.I. entities. In other words, a take on the old 'likeability' argument, or 'cute puppy' argument.

I'd argue that that episode would have been even more challenging (for Data, the crew of the Enterprise and the audience) if the ExoComps weren't - or hadn't been made to be - quite so attractively cute.

Actually, after "The Measure Of a Man", Data seemed to take it upon himself to be the voice of - or make the case for - any A.I. entity that fell foul of Starfleet or anyone else.

I might counter that while they appeared non-threatening, there could be motivation to make the Exocomps look like a power drill or came out of an Erector Set, specifically to emphasis their mechanical nature, versus something that looks biological, forcing us to examine their intelligence despite their mechanical appearance.

 

[Huntn]

A few episodes of the [original, and ahead of its time] Outer Limits:

* I, Robot (based on the Adam Link from Amazing Stories magazine of the 30s/40s)
* Demon with the Glass Hand (written by one of my favorite authors, Harlan Ellison, who actually sued James Cameron claiming The Terminator [from your list] ripped off his story Soldier [also an Outer Limits episode] and this episode)

I know I read some Harlan Ellison many years ago, but I'm not sure what I read, possibly A Boy and His Dog... and I was a big Outer Limits fan, but it seems like I remember more specifics from Twilight Zone than Outer Limits. I'd have to see Soldier to see if I can remember it, but I did look it up, and, while there are time travel elements similar to The Terminator, I can see a distinct plot difference as to why these individuals traveled through time, for example accident or on purpose, and the mission to eliminate the mother of the future resistance leader and then to kill him directly in Terminator 2. They need to get Outer Limits on Netflix!

 

[D.T.]

I know I read some Harlan Ellison many years ago, but I'm not sure what I read, possibly A Boy and His Dog... and I was a big Outer Limits fan, but it seems like I remember more specifics from Twilight Zone than Outer Limits. I'd have to see Soldier to see if I can remember it, but I did look it up, and, while there are time travel elements similar to The Terminator, I can see a distinct plot difference as to why these individuals traveled through time, for example accident or on purpose, and the mission to eliminate the mother of the future resistance leader and then to kill him directly in Terminator 2. They need to get Outer Limits on Netflix!

I thought OL was on some streaming service ... but I think maybe I'm confusing that with a DVD set we own or something ...

A Boy and His Dog is a crazy, amazing, ridiculous piece of fiction, the movie is definitely a product of 70s sci-fi ... stars a pre Miami Vice Don Johnson I have an original movie poster I never got framed, has horrible creases now, but I may still get it done, heck, that adds some character

 

[Centaurr]

im a movie fanatic...some of my fav 'robotic sci-fi' movies are:

A.I.
total recall
i, robot
terminator
chappie
cyborg
universal soldier
short circuit

 

[Huntn]

im a movie fanatic...some of my fav 'robotic sci-fi' movies are:

A.I.
total recall
i, robot
terminator
chappie
cyborg
universal soldier
short circuit

I forgot about Short Circuit!. That's a good movie. Chappie is on my list to see.

 

[Thomas Veil]

A classic (both book and movie) that people tend to forget about is Colossus: The Forbin Project.

The basic story: the US creates a supercomputer and places it in control of our nuclear arsenal. Colossus has been given a set of parameters: if anyone attacks the US, automatically strike back. Other countries are told of the parameters as a disincentive to attack us. And, the system removes the chance of human error on our part.

Most importantly, the computer is permanently sealed in a mountain so that it is impervious to sabotage or damage.

It turns out the computer is built even better than they thought. It begins calculating, pushing the boundaries of math far beyond the range of human knowledge. Then Colossus finds that the Russians are activating a similar computer...and Colossus wants to talk to it. Concerned politicians say no and...well, let's just say Colossus throws an atomic hissy fit.

The Control Data technology used and the Cold War story basis look rather dated now, but the story is still powerful. And this was way before Skynet.

 

[Huntn]

A classic (both book and movie) that people tend to forget about is Colossus: The Forbin Project.

The basic story: the US creates a supercomputer and places it in control of our nuclear arsenal. Colossus has been given a set of parameters: if anyone attacks the US, automatically strike back. Other countries are told of the parameters as a disincentive to attack us. And, the system removes the chance of human error on our part.

Most importantly, the computer is permanently sealed in a mountain so that it is impervious to sabotage or damage.

It turns out the computer is built even better than they thought. It begins calculating, pushing the boundaries of math far beyond the range of human knowledge. Then Colossus finds that the Russians are activating a similar computer...and Colossus wants to talk to it. Concerned politicians say no and...well, let's just say Colossus throws an atomic hissy fit.

The Control Data technology used and the Cold War story basis look rather dated now, but the story is still powerful. And this was way before Skynet.

That reminds me of The Doomsday Machine in Dr Strangelove kinda.

 

[Khalanad75]

Going to books....

Neuromancer and Burning Chrome. ON both of them when they jacked into the net companies would have AI that would protect their servers and information. They used AI so it could learn to adapt to hacking schemes.

 

[Plutonius]

GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) from the movie "Moon".

 

[MultiM]

My first look at AI was a book called The Adolesence of P1 by Thomas Joseph Ryan published in 1977. What a fun book and as I was a kid at the time, it really made me think.

 

[ucfgrad93]

One of the best ST:STNG episodes dealt with artificial intelligence, although from a perspective different from that which many science fiction stories take. In "The Measure of a Man" Data essentially fights a court battle for the right not to be considered property.

One of my favorites of the series.

 

[Thomas Veil]

 

[Huntn]

Now that's a blast from the past...

One of my favorite childhood villains- Dr. Smith, out to sabotage the mission, finds himself on board.

I think Robby the Robot from a decade earlier (Forbidden Planet) looked better! ​

 

[Thomas Veil]

They were designed by the same guy: Robert Kinoshita.

​

And ironically to this topic, I liked Lost in Space best when Smith was a villain instead of a sissy, and the robot was just a robot, more or less without a personality.

 

[Suture]

Some excellent ones in this thread already. I'd like to add I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. A computer AI, known as AM, imprisons the last few humans on the planet, and tortures them. The remaining humans are trying to escape from AM but are also trying to overcome their own demons. It's not a long story, and is often included in collective works. They even adapted a computer adventure game after the story in the 90s.

 

[Huntn]

They were designed by the same guy: Robert Kinoshita.

​

And ironically to this topic, I liked Lost in Space best when Smith was a villain instead of a sissy, and the robot was just a robot, more or less without a personality.

Interesting!

I think personalities appearing in AI is a natural progression because we are the designers. HAL was a great representation, because the most emotion it could express were subtle inflections in its voice. As Dave was shutting it down, while HAL was trying to talk him out of it you could hear the quiet desperation and fear.

Some excellent ones in this thread already. I'd like to add I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. A computer AI, known as AM, imprisons the last few humans on the planet, and tortures them. The remaining humans are trying to escape from AM but are also trying to overcome their own demons. It's not a long story, and is often included in collective works. They even adapted a computer adventure game after the story in the 90s.

Had it gone mad or just decided that humans should pay for their faults?