Terror to trust: Jennifer Lopez’s Netflix movie sparks fresh AI debate

Netflix recently released Atlas, starring Jennifer Lopez in the leading role, where she plays a cynical analyst who must team up with an artificial intelligence named Smith to save humanity from the rogue robot Harlan.

Along with humor, action, and a dose of cleverness, the film also explores themes of trust.

The movie is directed by Brad Peyton’s and also features Sterling K. Brown and Simu Liu in mech suits.

Overview

Atlas Shepherd has spent years hunting the artificial intelligence known as Harlan. Harlan was engineered to improve humanity, but he changed his mind and now wants to destroy humanity.

The crew’s search for Harlan leads them to planet GR-39 in the Andromeda galaxy. Here, Atlas shows a great deal of distrust towards artificial intelligence. However, as she is forced to collaborate with Smith, trust begins to develop.

This evolving trust is central to the sci-fi drama, which underscores its message: while one AI bot threatens humanity, another helps save it.

As Jennifer Lopez mentioned, Atlas and Smith go on this journey. “They teach each other to be just a little bit more human,” said Lopez.

The lack of empathy when it comes to artificial intelligence in this case leads to better understanding. Smith understands Atlas and does not respond to her cynicism like a human would. He does not withdraw from her when she shows her less pleasant traits.

The film is like a lesson on the relationships that exist among people, where distrust and lack of understanding are the main problems. During the pandemic, she read the script and liked the relationship that Atlas and Smith developed.

The good and bad sides of AI

The film presents both the good and bad sides of AI. For example, Harlan is the first AI terrorist. “He was created by a brilliant scientist to be the protector of humanity. Unfortunately, you know how some things go,” Liu told Netflix.

While on the other side, Smith and Atlas are trying to save humanity. “It’s a story of friendship and a love story, in a way,” said Lopez. For her, this is a different kind of love between two beings who teach each other how to be more human.

William Bibbiani in his review for The Wrap, wrote, “Hidden somewhere beneath all the generic dialogue, embarrassing plot, mediocre action, and oddly ineffective performances, there’s a good idea in Brad Peyton’s Atlas. It’s a shame the filmmakers never found it.”

According to him, the film comes dangerously close to being interesting, but it never steps over that very important line. “It’s a pity because there was a great story to be told with this very same concept. Maybe someone else will tell it someday,” he concluded.

To whom can we trust?

According to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker, people are concerned about the misuse of AI. However, they also tend to trust AI more than humans. Currently, about one in three people regularly use some form of AI tool, and most (57%) expect to increase their usage in the future. 

A 2022 study found that people who distrust humans are more likely to trust artificial intelligence to moderate online content.

“One reason some may hesitate to trust content moderation technology is that we are accustomed to freely expressing our opinions online, and we fear content moderation might restrict that,” explained Maria D. Molina.