Isaac Asimov is a science fiction novelist among other things who wrote a series of short stories called "I Robot." First published in 1950, there were nine short stories narrated from the perspective of robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin. There are vast differences between the short stories and the blockbuster film that has let a lot of Asimov’s fans down. “However, many were disappointed as it had become a science fiction thriller with a deep leaning towards the ‘Frankenstein complex’, a colloquial term used by Mr. Asimov described as ‘a fear of robots and other artificial intelligence’” (J128). This “Frankenstien complex” holds true to a lot of what we have been learning in class between the readings and the Prezi’s. 

“The Cybernetic Hypothesis” by Tiqqun, states that, “Governance is a distributed ‘coordination of the flows of information and decisions that circulate through the social body.’ It claims that the control of a system is obtained by establishing an optimum degree of communication between the parties to it. 

Total Control = Total Cominication” (Taken from Prezi week 6).

This idea that total control over communication is exactly what the film revolves around. Spooner and Calvin come to the realization that they handed the world over on a silver platter as they gave VIKI total control. Their reliance on the robots have given them a huge disadvantage. VIKI controls the streets, cars, and much of what we rely on to get around. With the addition of one NS5 robot per every 5 people, society has become helpless to machine giving in to the “Frankenstein Complex.”

The connections we can make between turn of the century technology and how information as come to be conceived from its creation to present all starts from the bodies relationship to machines. 

The idea of a cyborg has come up throughout the course and the concept of “wet technology” is apparent with the Del Spooner. His history with Dr. Alfred Lanning is the ironic part of I, Robot. The whole left side of Spooner’s arm up to his shoulder and part of his chest is made up from robotic components. The body’s relationship through hardware and machines has been one that leads to humor or fear. Throughout its introduction, machines have been the spotlight in many films ranging in the genres. Charlie Chaplin used the machines and its introduction as a means of comedy as seen in his film, Modern Times (1936). Earlier examples of the reception of progress include Buster Keaton’s The General (1926). His physical comedy/abuse created a harmony with the machine and train that he cherished. The parallel here is the relationship that society has with the robots. They are friends, companions, and caregivers. They make life easier for people and  become a part of the family. In the trailer of Bicentennial Man you see an example of this prior to I, Robot. 

What technology did in its upbringing was expand our world and shorten it all in one wave. Technology such as the train lengthened our reach nationally and worldwide. The telegraph increased worldwide communication alongside the telephone. All these advancements made our conception of the real world a lot smaller. Yet at the same time our reach became so much larger that the world we knew expanded. “We have now clearly stated the two contradictory sides of the same process: on one hand, the railroad opened up new spaces that were not as easily accessible before; on the other, it did so by destroying space, namely the space between points” (Schivelbusch 37). These all lead up to the 1940’s and the value of science in cybernetics. Norbert Weiner coins the term cybernetics as well as creates a field of study in human behavior. In 2035 Chicago, there is a flip side to this. Not only has technology here brought the world closer, it took the process of expanding our world and used it against us. Through its expansion, you see the ease by which technology assumes control through VIKI. Trains, electricity, telegraph, telephones are the foundation for our own takeover and a robot revolution. 

I leave this section with a fun fact from our friend J128: 

Incidentally the same year Isaac Asimov was born, it was in 1923 that the word “robot” was introduced into the English language by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek’s (pronounced Chapek) Rossum’s Universal Robots or R.U.R. The word robot comes from the Czech word robota, meaning “slavery, forced labour”, etc., from the Czech word rab “slave.” 

(Couldn’t find his actual name, it was either J128 or Gankutsuou which is his avatar on the website.)

J128. "I, Robot: A Critical Review." The World Is Quiet Here. WordPress, 25 June 2009. Web. 05 June 2014. <http://j128.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/i-robot-a-critical-review/>.