How We Imagined A I Forty Years Ago
This image is a humorous comparison that contrasts past expectations with the current reality, focusing on the development of artificial intelligence (A.I.). The top half of the image has the caption "How We Imagined A.I. Forty Years Ago," accompanied by a visual reference to classic science fiction films. The picture shows a group of robots that appear menacing and are designed with complex mechanical details, suggesting a future where robots would be humanoid, physically formidable, and possibly antagonistic.
In the lower half of the image, the caption reads "How It's Going," indicating a reveal of the present state of A.I. as it exists today. Instead of intimidating robots, we see a pastiche of historical figures with altered faces meant to appear somewhat artificial or synthetic. These characters are dressed in traditional attire reminiscent of American colonial era, with a backdrop of the American flag, but their faces are humorously transformed to include modern features that clash with their period costumes.
The juxtaposition of the two sections highlights the stark contrast between earlier predictions and the actual progress in A.I. technology, particularly in the domain of digital manipulation and deepfakes. While early science fiction movies posited robots as humanoid machines, today's artificial intelligence often lives within computers and networks, with capabilities like facial recognition and manipulation that can generate realistic, yet altered images of human faces.
The humor in this image arises from the mismatch between expectation and reality. The notion of fearsome robots taking over the world has given way to subtler, more surreal developments in A.I.—like the capability to transplant contemporary faces onto historical figures. This twist on deepfake technology subverts the ominous overtones that have historically been associated with A.I. in popular culture.
The characters in the lower section look somewhat familiar, yet clearly manipulated, which may also add to the humor. The absurdity of placing modern-day facial features onto distinguished historical figures creates a comical effect. It's funny because it simultaneously satirizes the past exaggerated fears of A.I., while also poking fun at the strange directions in which technology has evolved.
Lastly, the image might be funny to people because it uses a well-known meme format—the "Expectation vs. Reality" trope. In this format, the first part sets up an expectation, often grandiose or idealized, only to be humorously undercut by the more mundane or absurd reality. In this case, the sophisticated fears surrounding A.I. are upended by the absurdity of what we can actually do with it, highlighting a common human experience of how reality rarely lives up to our grandiose imaginations. How We Imagined A I Forty Years Ago How It s Going
