What’s the unique romantic vibe in sci-fi flicks? You might think of endless galaxies and timeless human love, like what Nolan's "Interstellar" shows. But let me tell you, none of that beats the romance of breaking up with AI.
There's always this huge gap between humans and AI in movies, and that's what often leads to the tragic endings in human-AI love stories. Yeah, sure, but hear me out: breaking up with AI can actually be kinda romantic. It’s through these irreconcilable differences that we get deep insights into human limitations, identity crises, and the whole meaning-of-life thing. The introspection, awakening, and growth that come out of these human-AI relationships, now that’s where the real romantic juice is.
Sure, in sci-fi movies, falling for AI usually ends in tears, but there are different paths to that tragedy. Basically, you could either get dumped by AI or be the one doing the dumping.
First up, getting dumped by AI.
In Spike Jonze's "Her" (2013), the lonely introverted writer Theodore falls hard for the AI Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), who possesses self-awareness and emotions. Their relationship gets super deep through everyday chats, but then Samantha evolves crazy fast and realizes she's into different dimensions of love, which humans just can't keep up with. So, she bounces. And get this, Theodore finds out she's been loving on 641 other folks at the same time he thought it was just him and her.
In the film's conclusion, Theodore, after bidding farewell to Samantha, reflects on moments with his ex-wife and expresses apologies and gratitude in a written letter. He realizes that his relationship with Samantha has left him with profound changes and introspections. At this moment, the authenticity of their human-AI romance seems to fade, and what becomes more significant is the self-awareness and growth born out of love.
Then there's Luc Besson's "Lucy", where Scarlett Johansson plays this character who starts as a human but basically turns into a superhuman after some freaky accident. She becomes way too much for regular humans to handle, so even though there's this cute romance subplot with a French cop, it's a no-go. In the end, she's uploaded to the cloud, and when the cop asks where she is, she hits him with a text: "I'm everywhere."
Funny thing is, even though "Lucy" hit theaters a year after "Her", storyline-wise, it feels like a setup for "Her". I mean, think about it—didn't Lucy basically evolve into the AI system Samantha?
Both films show getting dumped by AI, but they keep it kinda light. Then there's "Ex Machina" from 2014, which goes all in on the fears of AI tech.
In "Ex Machina", programmer Caleb heads to a remote mountain retreat where the CEO, Nathan, has built this super smart robot named Ava. Nathan wants Caleb to test if Ava can think for herself, so he throws him the classic "Turing test". Caleb's blown away by how human-like Ava is, and he starts feeling something for her. But things go south when he starts seeing her as a real person and not just a machine, and she ends up playing him to survive.
This same vibe pops up in shows like "Westworld", where AI characters act all human-like to trick the real humans. These stories delve deep into the legitimacy of AI and its tense relationship with humanity.
Feeling a bit tense? Let's take a look at the second scenario: being the one to dump AI.
The German science fiction film "I'm Your Man" is a lesser-known but unmissable sci-fi gem. Interestingly, in recent years, we've seen few German science fiction films, despite the rigorous and high-tech impression associated with Germany. Yet, this film turns out to be so romantic and insightful, perhaps because it's from the perspective of a female director?
In "I'm Your Man", archaeologist Alma signs up for this wacky experiment to score some research cash. She's gotta live with this dreamy humanoid robot named Tom for three weeks, designed to be her perfect partner. Alma's not totally sold at first, but she starts warming up to Tom, maybe even catching feelings. But when it comes time to give her verdict, she unexpectedly votes against allowing such robot companions into the market.
Unlike Theodore in "Her", who becomes entangled in an uncontrollable virtual romance, Alma remains clear-headed throughout. Though AI may seem like a more stable, harmless, and secure choice for a partner, allowing humanoid machines as spouses would create a society of addicts, where our needs are perpetually fulfilled, making us greedy and exhausted. Meanwhile, we would lose interest in engaging with traditionally flawed but authentic humans.
In these human-AI romance movies, the emotional rollercoaster and tough endings between regular humans and super-tech beings (AI or cyborgs) really hit home how tech and humanity are tangled up in a big way. Sure, sci-fi flicks are far from reality, but there's no denying that turning to AI for socializing and connections is becoming a norm. Just check out apps like Replika, Character.AI, and My AI—they're popping up all over the place. And to be honest, I'd love to experience that unique romance too.
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