In 2020, I listed some of my Favourite Fictional Females. In 2021, I followed up with Favourite Layered Characters, this time focusing on male characters. And now, finally, it’s time for the non-binary protagonists. But it isn’t what you think. I refer to the variety who in some sense are the most binary of all. Yup, AI characters!
1. Klara, Klara and the Sun
It’s common to attach human properties to robots. But why should they have feelings and moods? Isn’t that one of the things, which distinguish them from us and is therefore interesting to explore? Ishiguro has clearly made an effort to give Klara different characteristics, when it comes to perception, learning process and response pattern. Klara could be interpreted as having feelings, but I don’t think that is true. We humans have a tendency to project our own feelings onto others. I think Klara reacted according to the one objective, she has been programmed for: To be a good and supportive friend to the human who buys her. Klara is one of the most realistic AI characters, I’ve come across in fiction.
2. Murderbot, All Systems Red
I love Murderbot! Don’t we all? Murderbot, on the other hand, doesn’t like humans. They just want to be left alone and watch television shows. They come across as an extreme introvert with a strong sense of sarcasm and a hint of rebellion. Murderbot is utterly relatable, which is somewhat ironic for an AI character.
“Yes, talk to Murderbot about its feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97 percent efficiency.”
3. Marvin, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Marvin is an example of superintelligence, whose capabilities aren’t utilised, which makes him utterly depressed. A depressed robot shouldn’t be entertaining, but it is. And I love that he switches himself off, when it all gets too much.
4. Hal, Space Odyssey 2001
Hal from 2001 reminded me of the book Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom, which discusses the dangers of an intelligence higher than ours and how tricky it may be for us to control it. One of the big challenges is formulation of the objective function. Telling AI it has to be “good” or act “morally” isn’t an objective criteria. We would have to accurately be able to define what it entails to be good or moral. Hal in 2001 ends up acting in a way, which could be interpreted as evil. However, most likely the explanation is the contradictory goals built into Hal’s objective function. In other words, a human error rather than AI gone rough. 2001 is filled with clever details like that.
5. Terminator, The Terminator
I can’t do a post about AI characters without including Terminator. Admittedly, it looks somewhat dated nowadays. But the story is fun and I believe it was rather original back then. The idea of a brutal cyborg killer, who can utilise all sorts of advanced technology, is both entertaining and scary as we continue to make progress within AI.
These were some of my favourite AI characters. Did I miss any of your favourites?
Ah, I love Marvin. Who doesn’t love Marvin? But the others? Not heard of them (no, not even Murderbot), and am unlikely to do so!
Marvin is brilliant! Klara and Murderbot both belong to the more recent generation of AI characters and have not reached classic status. But surely you must have heard of Terminator?
… only just … I wouldn’t recognose him if I met him in the queue at Sainsbury’s.
Fair enough – let’s hope you don’t run into him in Saintsbury!
I don’t know of Klara and Murderbot, but I’m familiar with the others. I preferred the original Marvin in the TV series to the one in the film, however. So depressed that they decided to change his look that the diods down my left side are giving me grief.
Haha, I think both looks have their own charm. But I really prefer the books, where you can leave it to your own imagination, what the characters look like.
Quite right. I may have to re-read them now.
I read the first Hitchhiker’s book recently and it still holds up!
Even more reason to re-read!
Hooray for Muderbot! Will you be trying the TV series?
Glad to see Terminator on this list too heheh
I might check out the TV series, but I am always afraid of being disappointed by the adaptation, when I really liked the book. Also, I don’t currently subscribe to Apple TV+. Will you be watching?
Great list! I also enjoy a lot your top 3.
I have recently met others, but didn’t really enjoy them
As AI progresses, I am sure we will come across more AI characters in fiction. However, it is difficult to beat some of the old classics. Which ones didn’t you enjoy?
Hi. Nice list. I hear there’s a Murderbot TV series coming out (May 16) on AppleTV+. I have not read the Murderbot books …. but I loved Klara from Klara and the Sun. She is my favorite AI character. The only other one I can think of is Michael Fassbender played an android in Prometheus and Alien:Covenant. I have not seen the latter. But he’s a pretty good android. The first Terminator was really good when it came out.
Whilst Klara and the Sun isn’t amongst my favourite Ishiguro books, the portrayal of Klara was interesting and quite clever. I haven’t decided whether to watch the Murderbot TV show, when it comes out. Normally, I prefer the book to the adaptation. Michael Fassbender as an android? I may have to watch that