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  <div class="stackedit__html"><h1 id="“i’m-afraid-i-can’t-do-that”---the-impact-of-2001-a-space-odyssey-on-modern-technology-and-digital-culture">“I’m Afraid I Can’t Do That” - The Impact of <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em> on Modern Technology and Digital Culture</h1>
<p>The Stanley Kubrick-directed movie <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em> has been perplexing viewers since its release in 1968. This science fiction film’s ambiguous imagery and scarce use of dialogue allows for greatly varying interpretations, some finding it dark and apocalyptic, and others seeing it as a hopeful vision of a better future. Regardless of which interpretation one chooses to accept, critics agree that <em>2001</em> is one of the most influential films of all time, being declared <a href="https://www.imdb.com/news/ni5541246">the greatest film of all time</a> by <em>The Moving Arts Film Journal</em> and selected for the <a href="https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/">National Film Registry</a>. The influence of this film, which deals greatly with themes of technological evolution and artificial intelligence, has had a profound impact on modern-day technology and internet culture.</p>
<p>Within <em>2001</em>’s vision of the future, Kubrick embraced multiple new conceptions of future machines, many forming the genesis of modern devices. When Samsung was sued by Apple for stealing their idea of the iPad, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/apple-ipad-samsung-galaxy-stanley-kubrick-showed-tablet/story?id=14387499">Samsung pointed to the tablet-like “Newspad” of <em>2001</em></a> as the inspiration for both their and Apple’s devices. Asking the Google Assistant to “Open the pod bay doors,” one might get a response of “Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” a reference to a famous dialogue from the movie between an astronaut and the artificial superintelligence HAL 9000. The relaxed yet contemplative sound of HAL’s voice almost seems to be mimicked by the digital assistants in all of our smartphones. With both the tablet and digital assistant, by creating a conceptualization of technology in the next century, <em>2001</em> drew an abstract blueprint for what technology would eventually become.</p>
<p>Beyond defining technological devices themselves, <em>2001</em> crafted the tone we approach technological evolution with. Kubrick’s masterpiece contains multiple lengthy, silent scenes of vast, picturesque spacecraft and space stations. The grandiosity of these depictions fill viewers with a motivation to reach the halcyon days of the future. After its 1968 release, <em>2001</em>’s motivation fueled on the space race, with the U.S. moon landing occurring only 15 months later. Currently, <em>2001</em>’s impact can be seen in the bright optimism with which many approach emerging technological developments.</p>
<p>Within his optimistic view, Kubrick warns against the unquestioning embrace of technology. The AI HAL goes rogue in the film, killing five astronauts before it is finally stopped. Here, Kubrick conveys to viewers to see technology as having the potential for immense progress, but to make sure it works to serve humanity. Facebook exemplifies this approach to technology in modern digital culture; while we embrace the power Facebook has to unify us, the Zuckerberg hearing shows we hold technology to a standard of ethics and responsibility.<br>
Viewing the influence this 52-year old movie has procured, it raises the question “What other films have impacted digital technology and culture, and how?” How does each new blockbuster change our conceptions of an ever-digitizing world? While we have yet to find out the answer to these questions, we can be sure that <em>2001</em> will continue to impact how we think about modern technology and digital culture.</p>
<h2 id="work-cited">Work Cited</h2>
<p>Armstrong, Eric M. “Tma’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.” IMDb, <a href="http://IMDb.com">IMDb.com</a>, 13 Nov. 2010, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/news/ni5541246">www.imdb.com/news/ni5541246</a>.<br>
“Complete National Film Registry Listing.” The Library of Congress, National Film Preservation Board, 2019, <a href="http://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/">www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/</a>.<br>
Kazan, Casey. “Ridley Scott: ‘After 2001 -A Space Odyssey, Science Fiction Is Dead.’” Ridley Scott: “After 2001 -A Space Odyssey, Science Fiction Is Dead”, The Daily Galaxy, 10 July 2009, <a href="http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/ridley-scott-science-fiction-is-dead.html">www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/ridley-scott-science-fiction-is-dead.html</a>.<br>
Potter, Ned. “Stanley Kubrick Envisioned the IPad in ‘2001,’ Says Samsung.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 26 Aug. 2011, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/apple-ipad-samsung-galaxy-stanley-kubrick-showed-tablet/story?id=14387499">abcnews.go.com/Technology/apple-ipad-samsung-galaxy-stanley-kubrick-showed-tablet/story?id=14387499</a>.<br>
Williams, Craig H. “Realizing ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’: Piloted Spherical Torus Nuclear Fusion Propulsion.” E-15003 Cover, NASA, Mar. 2005, <a href="http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20050160960.pdf">ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20050160960.pdf</a>.</p>
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