Intelligent Metropolis-esque Film Masked as a Rom Com Since Metropolis hit the screens in 1927, the eternal debate of man vs machine came alive on the silver screen. At the pioneering onset of AI technology, Teri Baaton Mein Aise Uljha Jiya surges with fresh relevance and takes on the mantel of this eternal debate. What I love most about this movie is that behind the comedy, catchy songs, suave dances, and atmospheric ambience, it makes the viewer truly think. Furthermore, it doesn't supply the viewer with answers, but rather guides us along the path of considering multiple perspectives so form our own conclusions.
The movie starts out with a hot-shot robotics engineer who's got a conscious when it comes to questioning the ethics behind his field. There's a degree of fear in what he's capable of creating, as depicted by one of his nightmares. At the same time, he's a bit of jerk to humans - turning his nose up at the women at work who ask him out and calling people "fake."
Joke's on him.
However, it does bring up an excellent question about human nature and what it takes to form a relationship and care for someone. Is it really as simple as the partner sharing similar likes in banal things, like colors and exercise habits, or even a partner impressing someone with courage, such as not complaining when driving recklessly or taking a drag on a cigarette? If AI and robots could do this, would we fall for them? Although one may like to not think so, we all know the answer - relationships, even marriages, have been formed on less.
The movie brings up another fantastic insight - a glimpse into the darker side of humanity. Across time, there has been war between "us vs them." Who "them" is fluctuates depending on who is in power and declares "them" to be the "other." This could be a different caste, religion, socioeconomic standing, gender, culture, language, and etc. The list goes on. Either way, our leading man, having found himself caring for a robot; having found himself caring and having romantic inclinations for "the other" without realizing she was "other," begins to belittle her. He plays up stereotypes about robotics, such as the jerky arm movements from years ago and the monotone voice when talking to his friend.
This hits deep at the rot in humanity. The mix of microagressions and bias entrenched in human thought.
The movie stop here but flushes it out further. Having our main character come to the realization that his former opinions on "the other" were wrong and feeling love for another is sometimes wholly out of our control; humans have emotions and a complex neurophysiological wiring after all.
Once our main character accepts his feelings (missing and finding he cares for the robot), he introduces her to his family under the guise that she is part of the "us" and not the "them." The movie does a fantastic job at flushing out culture shock "from the point of view of AI/robot" and attempts at assimilation. Although these scenes are peppered in comedy, they hit home for anyone who has even had to live, interact, understand, or even attempt to assimilate to what one considers the "other."
Naturally, the climax of the film centers around man vs machine. However, what I love and find highly intelligent about this movie is that it doesn't clear-cut who is exactly right and wrong. It showcases the intended violence of humans (both verbal and physical), enacted through the robot as a mirror to reflect back on society. Afterall, robots and AI are processing systems made by humans, so who is really at fault?
Is it better to love a human full of faults but with emotions/empathy, or an AI/robot who has an essence of purity/nonjudgemental processing and can border on becoming an "übermensch." The film dangles this question in the air to tease viewers as we walk about a world that's rapidly expanding on use of AI/robotics daily.