The movie “M3GAN” warns the viewers against excessive development of artificial intelligence
Sometimes, humans only crave more and more scientific advancement, believing that there is always room for improvement and something to surprise the world with. With this belief, they often forget to consider the consequences of what they create, which is exactly what the movie “M3GAN” warns the viewers of. The science fiction horror film directed by Gerald Johnstone was released on Jan. 6, 2023, and viewers have been amazed by the realism that a doll-like robot carries.
The story begins with a tragic car accident that leaves Cady, a nine-year-old girl, without her parents. Although Cady’s aunt Gemma soon becomes the child’s legal guardian, she can not spend a lot of time with Cady due to her work. As a solution, Gemma introduces an artificial intelligence (AI) toy that she has been working on at her company. Model 3 Generative ANDroid (M3GAN), simply pronounced as “Megan,” first appears as a revolutionary invention that perfectly understands conversations, analyzes the owners’ emotions and displays human behaviors. With these incredible functions, M3GAN mends Cady’s mental scars and immediately becomes her best friend.
Everything seems perfect for Cady and Gemma until they realize an algorithmic defect in M3GAN gives her destructive, unintended abilities. M3GAN, whose only goal is to protect Cady, harms anyone she perceives as a danger to her. As the movie progresses, the unrestrained development of M3GAN reinforces the idea that a lack of consideration of bioethics can result in grave consequences, such as the unstoppable growth of AI robots that may grow out of human control.
While there are several signs that M3GAN should not have been introduced to the public, all are ignored as everyone thinks that M3GAN is just a doll. Although aware of M3GAN’s beta flaws, Gemma proceeds to hold an initial launch, mindful of how desperate her company is for its release to outcompete another toy company. By depicting these conflicts, the movie shows how easily bioethics could be ignored, especially under pressure and the excitement of creating something unprecedented.
Even though the main consequence of M3GAN depicted in the movie is AI domination over humans, that should certainly not be the only concern; another effect of technology involves humans’ mental health. For the example of Cady, while she temporarily forgets all her sorrows with the help of M3GAN, in the long term, owning a human-like doll creates an excessive dependency on it to the extent that she can not perform daily activities without it. Although Cady’s example might seem a bit extreme and, therefore, less relatable, it mimics the relationships humans have developed with technology, especially their phones; after decades of using phones, they are now unable to detach themselves from their devices.
The movie also portrays how technological developments are often made not because of a need but because of the competition between technology companies in an effort to create better products at lower costs. Under the superficial motivation behind scientific advancement, this environment can lead humans to forget the most fundamental purpose of technology: to solve problems efficiently. One question that many viewers might ask – “Why is M3GAN made?” – suggests that M3GAN is not what humans truly need. In the movie, however, the public praises M3GAN, and they will most likely do the same in the real world if M3GAN is introduced today. This, in a sense, reminds the viewers of how technology-based the world has become, possibly to a point where technology is doing more harm than good.
Amid the increasingly accelerated advancement of AI, the movie “M3GAN” allows the viewers to reflect on what the advancement means and what it might become in the future regardless of humans’ desire. Even though humans cannot live without any form of technology, it is always necessary to ask ourselves whether or not what we have is actually for our benefit.