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Description

Thoughts taken from TV and Books on various topics and given a Christian slant to stimulate thoughts. The topic here for Day 6 is 'What is a human being', looking at such movies as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Bible reading: Luke 5: 17-28

There 42 Meditations in the series - Day1 to Day42 -

To see all 42 enter LTUAE in the Search Box or see below for Introduction and full list.

This PDF will download as 05021010454479.pdf

Extract:

What is a human being?  In the movie AI: Artificial Intelligence, Steven Spielberg uses the earlier
story by Stanley Kubrick to explore what it means to be human.  A young boy robot gains the
capacity to love and be loved.  Does this make him human?  I found it a fascinating and disturbing
movie.  It left me with the question ‘Is it the reality of love or even the reality of death that defines
humanity?’
 
It is a theme that has been explored before.  Mr Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation struggles
with the same question alongside The Terminator, I-Robot and Kubrick’s own supercomputer Hal
in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  This rich vein of interest in Hollywood reflects questions that are part
of our society generally.  The growth of the power of computers has been rapid.  Are we reaching
the stage of having to ask our computers if you can turn them off?  This is not just a fear of
whether or not artificial intelligence will take over the world but also a genuine question:  If
computers begin to show intelligence or even self-consciousness, then what does that mean for
human beings?

Continues ....

For Introduction and list of all 42 Meditations for Lent and Beyond - Click Here to Download

These Meditations are taken from the book 'Life, The Universe And Everything' by David Wilkinson - Click Here

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