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Whenever David talks about Monica loving him, he’s always bringing up the things she’ll do for him, not what he can do for her.
The article recounts an event where David, the robot from the film 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence', attempts to end his life by jumping from a building into the ocean. He is inexplicably saved first by a swarm of fish, then rescued by Joe and Teddy in a futuristic helicopter capable of underwater operation. As Joe is mysteriously pulled upwards by another hovering aircraft, he says 'I am' and 'I was' to David before the helicopter hatch closes. This sequence sets up a philosophical discussion, as Joe's departure is abrupt and symbolic, leaving David to continue his quest for the blue fairy.
The author interprets Joe's final words, 'I am' and 'I was', as a direct mockery of Rene Descartes's famous philosophical statement, 'I think, therefore, I am', which explores the certainty of one's existence. The article suggests that director Steven Spielberg's intention was to reflect the film's central theme: 'Nobody knows what ‘real’ really means.' However, the author criticizes this attempt at profundity, pointing out a glaring plot hole where a powerful magnetic force only affects Joe's metallic necklace, pulling him away, but fails to affect David or the entire helicopter. The piece then refutes the film's implied argument that passing the Turing Test, where a machine's responses are indistinguishable from a human's, equates to being 'real.' The author brings in the 'Chinese Room Argument' to counter this, explaining that a robot can follow rules and produce correct outputs without possessing genuine understanding or consciousness, much like someone following a manual to answer Chinese symbols without knowing Chinese.
The article argues that the film 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' inadvertently proves the limits of artificial intelligence in understanding complex human emotions like love, instead portraying David’s 'love' as programmed obsession. David's actions consistently demonstrate a lack of genuine empathy or understanding of love. For instance, he shows no concern for Monica's biological son, Martin, when he nearly drowns, only apologizing when faced with being abandoned. His focus is always on what Monica will do for him, rather than what he can do for her. The author highlights that when David encounters other versions of himself, his response is not one of existential curiosity but rather a possessive act of destruction, viewing them as rivals for Monica's affection. This behavior, according to the author, stems from a programmed definition of love, leading to distorted mimicry rather than true emotional connection, despite the robot's ability to perform actions like hugging.
The narrative continues with David and Teddy, trapped underwater after their helicopter is struck by a Ferris wheel in a ruined amusement park. David relentlessly 'prays' to a statue of the blue fairy, pleading to be made a real boy, until his power source eventually gives out. The film then abruptly jumps two thousand years into the future, depicting an Earth completely covered in ice and devoid of human life. The author criticizes the use of the word 'pray' as a 'petty shot at religion' and finds the entire two-thousand-year time skip and the subsequent appearance of extraterrestrial or advanced robotic beings (referred to as 'deus ex ET') to be a significant plot convenience. The article points out a major logical flaw: Professor Hobby, David's creator, would undoubtedly have searched extensively for his unique and valuable robot, making it highly improbable that David would remain undiscovered for two millennia, especially given his traceable location. This dramatic narrative leap is deemed to derail the film's coherence.