AI Doesn't Have to Be the Bad Guy

What do you think when you think of artificial intelligence (AI)? Until recently, generations of people only viewed AI technology through the lens of popular culture depictions. And one major touchstone in their experiences was the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It was the highest-grossing film in North America in 1968, selected to be preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress National Film Registry, won an Academy Award for visual effects and a Hugo Award--one of science fiction's highest honors--for Best Dramatic Presentation. Despite its accolades, the movie drew a mixed reception of awe and confusion over its depiction of evolution and the meaning of existence.