# Are There Examples of Good A.I.'s? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214 "2016-12-08T16:39:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/1 "2016-12-08T16:39:14Z")
I know there are, but I can’t think of many. This is inspired by Agents of SHIELD doing ANOTHER “we made an AI and oops it’s bad” storyline. It bugs me that every time someone makes an AI it inevitably becomes evil. Surely that didn’t happen every single time, so what examples of AIs that never went evil? (btw one-offs where they were possessed or whatever doesn’t count…I mean on the whole). I can think of only 2: Data from Star Trek EDI from Mass Effect Was Robbie the Robot good? or even an AI? What about the dude from Lost in Space? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/2 "2016-12-08T16:40:21Z")
The Holodoc from Voyager (who even, to a certain extent, transcended his programming). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/3 "2016-12-08T16:41:46Z")
If you’re open to books, the Minds from Iain M. Banks Culture novels are pretty much the gold standard of “good” AIs. With a few exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/4 "2016-12-08T16:42:09Z")
Adam Selene Athena, Dora, Gay Deceiver and all the others Lazarus deals with Heck, I think _every_ AI Heinlein wrote was “good.” He wouldn’t tolerate sloppy programming. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/5 "2016-12-08T16:51:46Z")
Multivac in various Isaac Asimov stories (most notably in “[The Last Question](http://multivax.com/last_question.html)”), as well as his robot stories. Adam Link The robot in Henry Kuttner’s Gallagher stories. I’m sure **Exapno Mapcase** will be along with many more. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/6 "2016-12-08T17:01:21Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Was Robbie the Robot good? or even an AI? What about the dude from Lost in Space? What distinction are you making that Robbie the Robot would _not_ be AI? Any device programmed to analyze inputs and make decisions based on that input would count as some small level of artificial intelligence. You can quibble about the lower end (is [Eliza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA) AI?) but almost all the robots found in science fiction would unquestionably count as AI. So, to start you off, good AI, off the top of my head: C.H.O.M.P.S in _C.H.O.M.P.S_, D.A.R.Y.L in _D.A.R.Y.L_, V.I.C.I in _Small Wonder_, Johnny 5 in _Short Circuit_, Eve from _Mann & Machine_, the robot cops from _Almost Human_, most of the robots from _A.I._, most of the robots from _Wall-E_, Bishop from _Aliens_, Call from _Alien Resurrection_, and I’m barely scratching the surface here. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/7 "2016-12-08T17:05:19Z")
Vision from the Marvel Universe In Star Wars: Artoo, Threepio, and BB-8 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/8 "2016-12-08T17:07:18Z")
Bishop in _Aliens_ acts admirably; setting up the communications with the ship, rescuing Ripley and saving Newt from being blown out the airlock (after he was torn in half). Granted, he’s intended to counterpoint the actions of the android Ash in the previous film. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/9 "2016-12-08T17:10:25Z")
Also a vast number of examples from anime and manga, but I’ll list only 3 from the top of my head that are well worth checking out. All AIs in [Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama_Kaidashi_Kik%C5%8D) and in [_Eve no Jikan_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_of_Eve) and _some_ of the AIs in [_Ergo Proxy_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergo_Proxy). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/10 "2016-12-08T17:10:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Heck, I think _every_ AI Heinlein wrote was “good.” He wouldn’t tolerate sloppy programming. “Mike” from _The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress_ was the first one that came to my mind. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Multivac in various Isaac Asimov stories (most notably in “[The Last Question](http://multivax.com/last_question.html)”), as well as his robot stories. I have to wonder how much classic SF the OP has read, if he’s asking a question like this. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/11 "2016-12-08T17:12:20Z")
Those rectangular robots in _Interstellar_. Agent Hymie on _Get Smart!_ ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/12 "2016-12-08T17:14:21Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I have to wonder how much classic SF the OP has read, if he’s asking a question like this. I took the opening question to refer to recent filmed entertainment. If so, there may be a measurable trend in recent years to show AI as ‘dangerous’–or there may not. But that would be a separate question from ‘how is AI treated in all forms of storytelling over time?’ or the like. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/13 "2016-12-08T17:19:54Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Bishop in _Aliens_ acts admirably; setting up the communications with the ship, rescuing Ripley and saving Newt from being blown out the airlock (after he was torn in half). > > Granted, he’s intended to counterpoint the actions of the android Ash in the previous film. Likewise, HAL in 2010 redeems himself. Although he was never bad, so much as the victim of conflicted programming (and no 3 laws of robotics, apparently). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/14 "2016-12-08T17:35:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I have to wonder how much classic SF the OP has read, if he’s asking a question like this. Absolutely literally none. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > I took the opening question to refer to recent filmed entertainment. If so, there may be a measurable trend in recent years to show AI as ‘dangerous’–or there may not. But that would be a separate question from ‘how is AI treated in all forms of storytelling over time?’ or the like. This is closer to what I was getting at. More along the lines of film and not books. Although I did cheat by throwing a video game in my own examples. But I definitely probably should have said “in film” in the title. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/15 "2016-12-08T17:39:58Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > most of the robots from _A.I._ Yeah, this is what I was thinking of…it’s been awhile since I’ve seen it, but I seem to recall that a lot of the ones we saw in that film were pretty sympathetic (as they were terrified, hunted, and tortured by people). Although the main character, the kid, on the surface seems very sad and you sort of naturally feel bad for him…his programming does lead him to some very dangerous places unintentionally. I mean, at the end of the movie he essentially destroys his “mother’s” soul (and the last remnant of humanity?) just to spend another day with an idealized version of her. And he’s really, obliviously, ecstatic to do it, IIRC. It seems saccharine on the surface and the movie gets criticized for tacking on a “happy” ending, but it’s actually in my opinion a pretty horrifying act. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/16 "2016-12-08T17:45:09Z")
The Machine from _Person of Interest_ was pretty good; mostly because she was raised right. Contrast with Samaritan, from the same show. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/17 "2016-12-08T17:50:58Z")
Eddie, Your Shipboard Computer from _Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ was a good guy, and helpful (if annoying). Marvin was also good, despite his chronic depression and the terrible pain in all the diodes down his left side. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/18 "2016-12-08T17:57:05Z")
Rem from the TV series version of _Logan’s Run_. The Robot from _Lost in Space_. The original Robbie the Robot from _Forbidden Planet_. Arguably, Machine from the film _The Machine_. Clyde from _Black Road_. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/19 "2016-12-08T18:02:41Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Granted, he’s intended to counterpoint the actions of the android Ash in the previous film. The thing with Ash was not that he was a good AI that flipped to evil for inexplicable reasons. Rather, he was given an explicit directive ([Special Order 937](https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=special+order+937)) by Weyland-Yutani to retrieve the xenomorph, even if it meant wiping out the crew (whether deliberately or as collateral damage). Knowing of SO 937, his attempt on Ripley’s life was entirely predictable. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214/20 "2016-12-08T18:06:05Z")
Tron. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-of-good-a-i-s/774214.md?page=2)