2001: A Space Odyssey, is an intriguing and incredibly impressive film. 

Written in 1968, the movie predicts modern-day concepts that were once considered out of this world, such as artificial intelligence and video calls. The number of future inventions writer Stanley Kubrick nailed is awe-worthy, yet sometimes overshadowed by the slow pace of the film. Characters regularly contact family and colleagues via video calls, interchangeable with FaceTime, Skype, and even more recently, zoom calls. 

Although not perfectly, Kubrick also predicted the creations of space shuttles and stations. He overestimated the technological advancements that humans would make by the year 2001, but he managed to predict the general concepts of what the future would look like.

Another, and perhaps the most important of the creations Kubrick foresaw, is the production of and reliance on A.I. by humans. “Hal” is a form of A.I., very similar to modern-day “Alexa”, or “Google Home” that people not only constantly rely on, but also hook up to their own houses, enabling them to dim lights, play music, ETC. The difference between Hal and modern-day A.I. is consciousness. 

Many argue that humans are approaching the age of creating conscious artificial intelligence that could be a threat to humanity. This idea is presented and explored throughout 2001: A Space Odyssey, serving as a warning that technology should have its limits and that innovations are not always positive. Although humanity has not yet created a conscious machine capable of independent thoughts and emotions like “Hal”, that day may not be too far in the future. 

Besides the incredible predictions made by Kubrick, he also investigates the concept of a god during the climax of the movie. He presents the theory that God is not at all what the main religions depict, but could instead be an incredibly intelligent species of alien. Kubrick has stated that he rejects the current monotheistic religions, and although he may not believe that what we consider to be God is in fact aliens, he challenges the theories of man in the movie. The “god’ of 2001: A Space Odyssey is thought to be a race of aliens, intelligent beyond human grasp, who contact humans by the use of monoliths, each catapulting humanity into a new age, whether its through the use of tools, space technology, or more, they are credited with crafting the human race.

In the end, although slow at times,  2001: A Space Odyssey is a fascinating and thought-provoking film, absolutely worth your time.

Photo courtesy of Heralnet June 14th, 2018