HAL and S.A.R.A.H.

by Jennifer Radcliff

Ever since computers first began to function as something more than a glorified calculator, scientists and science-fiction writers alike have been predicting a day when computers will have evolved into an intelligent machine with human-like characteristics.  Over the past decade, computer science has made incredible progress in the area of artificial intelligence (AI).  Now that science seems to be catching up with the radical predictions of sci-fi genre greats such as Stanley Kubrick and Phillip K. Dick and philosophers such as Alan Turing and John Searle, it seems we ought to be taking a closer look at the messages these writers were trying to get across. In particular, I want to focus on Kubrick's representation of the artificial intelligence HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey as compared to S.A.R.A.H., a smart house AI featured on the television show Eureka. Both AI's are represented as computer programs designed to serve human needs and both eventually make a conscious choice to turn against their creators.

 In Sherry Turkle's Life on the Screen,it is suggested that "computers only do what you tell them to do, nothing more, nothing less".  In that sense, an AI's programming is only as good or complex as the human that programs it is capable of.  In Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL seems to go beyond its programming, making the leap to what's (arguably) a sentient being. HAL makes the choice to kill the humans he was programed to serve, in order to save himself from being turned off.  In the Eureka episode "H.O.U.S.E. Rules", S.A.R.A.H, the artificial intelligence in charge of the main character's smart house, also seems to make this leap. In the episode, it's established that Fargo, a super-genius resident of the town Eureka was the one responsible for S.A.R.A.H's programming. Despite his original programming, S.A.R.A.H. goes above and beyond her original commands and takes it upon herself to hold important members of the town hostage in the safe house she controls (a remodeled nuclear fallout bunker), refusing to release them until the group have resolved their issues.

Prior to this incident, scientist Henry Deacon announced his decision to leave Eureka. This came as a shock to everyone since Henry was usually the man who saved the day when experiments in Eureka went awry.  At the start of the episode, upset over Henry's announcement to leave and feeling as if he wasn't doing much good as Sheriff, Jack Carter (the smart house resident) asks S.A.R.A.H. to help him search for a new home in the tropics.  S.A.R.A.H. claims that she chose to take extreme actions because she predicted that with the loss of two of the town's major players (Henry Deacon and Sheriff Carter) the town would be put in "imminent danger."  Something that's not said flat out, but seems to be strongly hinted at, is that S.A.R.A.H. took action because she had grown attached to Sheriff Carter (the smart house resident) asks S.A.R.A.H. to help him search for a new home in the tropics.  S.A.R.A.H. claims that she chose to take extreme actions because she predicted that with the loss of two of the town's major players (Henry Deacon and Sheriff and didn't want him to leave. When he started looking for real estate, she took it as her cue to act in order to keep him in Eureka.  Her attachment to Jack was also mentioned earlier in the season during the episode "Many Happy Returns", when she gave Carter a guilt trip for missing dinner and not calling to tell her that he would be late.  She refused to let him back into the house until he apologized and promised not to do it again.

When Turkle discusses whether or not computers are capable of emotions, she mentioned that a common reaction we as humans have towards computers is that, "computers might think, but people can feel." Both in Kubrick's 2001 and in Eureka, the writers seem to be suggesting that once computers appear capable of emotion, they have become sentient.  Another thing that both 2001 and Eureka suggest is that once they have become sentient and driven by their own emotions and desires, they will do anything to get what they want.  In HAL's case, he was willing to ignore his programming and kill the humans he served in order to save his own "life". This adds credit to the argument that HAL is alive, because one of the characteristics of living creatures is their will to survive at any cost.   In S.A.R.A.H's case, her apparent attachment to Sheriff Carter caused her to take drastic measures in order to keep him around.

At the time of 2001: A Space Odyssey's release, the artificial intelligence HAL represented a major change in the way we were beginning to view computers. An AI thinking for itself? The thought was radical and came with dangerous implications. Now although they're certainly not the first to suggest it, Eureka explored the next logical progression. S.A.R.A.H. is an artificial intelligence that feels HAL was an AI divorced from most emotions, with the possible exception of fear, he felt no pity for the actions he was forced to take. He was only doing what was necessary to remain online. S.A.R.A.H., for itself.  on the other hand, resorted to extreme actions because of her emotions.

These two examples as well as the Turkle book seem to be bringing up an important question: When the tool begins to think and feel for itself, where does that leave the creator it was meant to serve?  Although scientists tell us we're still a long way from finding out, the question itself remains in our cultural conscience.  It has forced us to ask ourselves the question "what is alive?"  If we could answer ourselves that question, we might be better prepared to identify and react to a sentient computer. Until then, scientists and sci-fi writers are left to wonder "what if?" and theorize about what might happen the day computers truly begin to live.


Bibliography

Turkle, Sherry. Life On the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks,1995.

Hal 900 from 2001: a Space Odyssey. 22 Oct, 2006 <http://www.jeffbots.com/hal.jpg>

Sci-Fi.com | Eureka. Sci-Fi Online. 21 Oct, 2006. <http://www.scifi.com/eureka/gallery/index.php>
http://www.jeffbots.com/hal.jpg