Chappie and the Psychology of Artificial Intelligence

Chappie film

Chappie, the new film from Neill Blomkamp (the director of the awesome District 9 and the disappointing Elysium), just came out.  

While it’s getting mixed reviews, the film does explore the psychological implications of true artificial intelligence. The Smithsonian asked me about this and I had a few things to say. Here’s an excerpt: 

A truly self-governing, self-aware being like Chappie would be a departure from anything ever seen before. “In the time since Neanderthals, we haven’t ever really had the potential to work collaboratively with a whole new species that is intelligent,” Mattu says. “If we can overcome barriers to sharing empathy with an artificial life form, then this could lead to an amazing age for humanity.

Check out the full article for much more on the psychology of AI.