Rise of the machines - Technology - smh.com.au

Whether it's robots, computers or genetically engineered beings, technology is out to get humanity. It's trying to enslave or kill us, or make us suffer on behalf of some corrupt corporate or government entity. But is it merely fanciful fiction or the bleak reality that awaits mankind? Many of our favourite science-fiction films are part of a genre known as "tech noir", stories that prophesy that the advancement of technology will have foreboding consequences for humanity. Blockbusters such as The Terminator franchise, Blade Runner, RoboCop and Gattaca dissolve the distinction between man and machine, exploring what it means to be human and challenging contemporary values, says Dr Greg Dolgopolov, lecturer in the school of media, film and theatre at the University of NSW.