Plug and Pray reviews
Review by on 28 Sep 2010
PLUG AND PRAY tells the story of the technological evolution and the dawn of artificial intelligence while exploring themes of ethics, regret and religion. Computer engineers, scientists of robotics and other tech experts discuss their own views on what the world will be like where robots and humans coexist. With talk of nano-robots that are the size of red blood cells roaming through the human body (making the host live forever), automated vehicles and machines that will learn to such an extent that they leave humanity behind them, the film feels like a more realistic and relevant version of ‘Tomorrow’s World’.
The film poses the question of ‘What if machines start to get too advanced?’ hinting to something much more Terminator than say R2-D2. It also shows the audience the sometimes short sightedness of inventors as their creations are implemented to uses far beyond their main objective. The unreliability of machine is also highlighted, showing multimillion dollar experiments breaking down and malfunctioning; which only adds to the question of ‘do we know what we are really doing, putting so much responsibility into the hands of AI?’
Thought provoking and incredibly insightful, PLUG AND PRAY explores its subject matter from all directions, showing the positives and the negatives of technology and in man’s judgement.
Turner Hodsoll
The film poses the question of ‘What if machines start to get too advanced?’ hinting to something much more Terminator than say R2-D2. It also shows the audience the sometimes short sightedness of inventors as their creations are implemented to uses far beyond their main objective. The unreliability of machine is also highlighted, showing multimillion dollar experiments breaking down and malfunctioning; which only adds to the question of ‘do we know what we are really doing, putting so much responsibility into the hands of AI?’
Thought provoking and incredibly insightful, PLUG AND PRAY explores its subject matter from all directions, showing the positives and the negatives of technology and in man’s judgement.
Turner Hodsoll
Review by on 26 Sep 2010
An enlightening and somehow touching look at the development of technology and how it looks set to overtake human capability. Director Jens Schanze looks at several of the more predominant men in the technology industry from musical instrument and reading tools for the blind’s creator, Raymond Kurzweil to robot manufacturer Minoru Asada lending the viewer an insight into their respective worlds of technology.
You can’t help but be charmed by Joseph Weizenbaum as he questions whether the development of such technologies may soon surpass man in ability and intellect; he lends a welcome sense of humour to such a documentary.
The audience is introduced to robotics as it stands today, from the learning capabilities of child-like robots, to uncanny human resemblances to a slightly perverted little robot that wanders around shopping centres asking for hugs and kisses. But never are you left baffled by inside terms or long winded interviews. it’s well paced and fascinating and leaves you wanting more, wanting to see what technologies will develop in your lifetime and what might be built after.
Possibly not suited for anyone who can’t stand to even look at an iphone, It’s a must see for those who question what path technology will lead us down in the future and in our lifetimes.
Claire Alexander
You can’t help but be charmed by Joseph Weizenbaum as he questions whether the development of such technologies may soon surpass man in ability and intellect; he lends a welcome sense of humour to such a documentary.
The audience is introduced to robotics as it stands today, from the learning capabilities of child-like robots, to uncanny human resemblances to a slightly perverted little robot that wanders around shopping centres asking for hugs and kisses. But never are you left baffled by inside terms or long winded interviews. it’s well paced and fascinating and leaves you wanting more, wanting to see what technologies will develop in your lifetime and what might be built after.
Possibly not suited for anyone who can’t stand to even look at an iphone, It’s a must see for those who question what path technology will lead us down in the future and in our lifetimes.
Claire Alexander
Review by on 23 Sep 2010
PLUG AND PRAY, on the surface a documentary about the future of robotics and artificial intelligence, ends up telling us more about the failings of the human advocates of this rampant technology than about the technology itself. Raymond Kurzweil, a trenchant futurist and hi-tech inventor, proclaims it human “destiny” for us to merge with machines and exceed current capacities for thought and reason, as is the right of human intelligence as “really the most important phenomenon in the world.” Jens Schanze’s film wastes no time in highlighting the hubristic danger of such beliefs, and Professor Joseph Weizenbaum’s sensitive but passionate objections to the “delusional grandeur” of modern roboteers ring true based on the footage shown.
Offering a truly global vision of how a narrow group of elite scientists are set on changing the lives of all of humanity, Schanze presents his chosen subject with a keen eye for the visually amazing (not to mention bizarre) side of robotics and wisely insists on reminding the audience that the issues on discussion in the film are directly relevant to the problems of today – the European Commission, it is pointed out, have earmarked 400 million Euros to developing new robot technologies. It might be asked what has sparked a fresh look into the field of robotics, when a lot of the science is hardly groundbreaking in terms of the ideas – but as technology continually rises in ubiquity, a reminder that the artificial revolution is not inevitable is unfashionably prescient, but necessary.
Oliver Ford
Offering a truly global vision of how a narrow group of elite scientists are set on changing the lives of all of humanity, Schanze presents his chosen subject with a keen eye for the visually amazing (not to mention bizarre) side of robotics and wisely insists on reminding the audience that the issues on discussion in the film are directly relevant to the problems of today – the European Commission, it is pointed out, have earmarked 400 million Euros to developing new robot technologies. It might be asked what has sparked a fresh look into the field of robotics, when a lot of the science is hardly groundbreaking in terms of the ideas – but as technology continually rises in ubiquity, a reminder that the artificial revolution is not inevitable is unfashionably prescient, but necessary.
Oliver Ford
Film details
Plug and Pray
DOCUMENTARIES
Director: Jens Schanze
Germany, 2009.
90 mins. , , , with English subtitles.
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