I've been exposed to the theme and overall idea of robots in film, and in possibility since I was a child. While this fact makes it less of an exoteric thing for me, it does still spark awe and curiosity. I find that there are specific differences that distinguish a positive robot from a negative one. For instance, the "Touch Bionics i-limb hand" is a remarkable example of the success a robot can bring to a person. This robotic limb replaces an arm, and more importantly, a hand, for a man who has lost his original one. The technology behind the hand is in the shoulder portion of the limb where sensors pick up on muscle movements which control the hand. As the user displays, there are some troubles with the hand, where some of the intended functions are misguided. However, the possibilities are clear. The narrator notes, "Campbells robotic arm is trying to compete with something that took millions of years to evolve." This is important because it dismisses the lack of function the robotic limb sometimes has, by contrasting it to the complexity of human hands. This is also imperative to the entire argument for and against robots because in one way, robots may be excused for lack of time development, and robots are negative because they may never be able to compete with human function.
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So while we understand the vantage that humans have in contrast to robots, I think that the fear of robots is in the possibility that this relationship may one day be reversed. A film that provides this sort of paranoia is I, Robot. This film, directed by Alex Proyas is about a robot filled world where robots coexist with humans, and the robots benefit humans daily life by being garbage men, walking the dogs etc. When things go awry for one robot who is accused of murder, a spark goes off where all of the robots attack the man who is the accuser, and the world they live in. The danger lies in the great numbers of robots that exist, as well as their surmounting strength and abilities. This kind of human disadvantage is scary, and the film plays up our fears of this sort. I think for most people, robots are acceptable up until the point where they must interact with one. I think robots are inspiring to think about, but unacceptable to coexist with. I find that the reason films mostly play up these fears is because they do still exist, and for that reason, they always will because they hone those same fears within us. There are rarely, or none to my knowledge that portray robots such as Watson who are safe, intelligent robots.
