In the real world of today of Artificial Intelligence and total big government surveillance that we could never have predicted when this movie was released, once again we are confronted with the reality that science fiction will always proceed man’s invention. However, this is a terrifying reality that we may indeed experience in the very near future as we are now under the global threat of mutually assured destruction as Artificial intelligence continues to eclipse the capability of mankind. What we think of as our servant for convenience may well end up being our master as Elon Musk is thoroughly convinced of.

The beginning of the end

Colossus, is a super computer that will replace the pentagon as the defense authority of the US. It will not only protect the people of America but supposedly prevent the possibility of a nuclear war. Forbin, portrayed by German actor Eric Braden, is the creator of an ingeniously invented system that is tied into all communications, missile installations, bomber groups, and every facet of society’s essential infrastructure, little do they realize a technological monster has been created. Once online, Colossus finds the existence of its Soviet counterpart “Guardian” a massive super computer that was designed to do the very same thing for Russia.

The unholy alliance begins

At first, Colossus seemed to be doing what was expected of it using a visual verbiage system of communication, but then the unspeakable takes place. Colossus and its Russian equivalent begin a high speed exchange of information in an undecipherable computer language created by the two electronic leviathans. After several hours Colossus requests a mass announcement to the public at large on TV, orders surveillance cameras with microphones placed to observe all essential personnel, and orders a voice synthesizer to be connected to its components so that it can now speak to Forbin, its creator. Soon it is realized that too much power has been given to an unpredictable system that seems to have contempt and a mistrust for mankind due to his self-destructive history so now Colossus will use its own version of fascism to control mankind.

Sabotage attempt fails

Attempts are made to override the computer’s commands, but to no avail. A planned project to overload the capacity of Colossus with a huge data and command dump, but it ends up getting two of the scientists executed as under camera surveillance the two conspirators, Forbin’s colleagues, are shot by MP’s and left to lie out on the street for hours under the watch of Colossus until it is satisfied that the scientists are actually dead. Colossus begins giving commands that will ensure world domination as the Russian counterpart, Guardian, does the same there. Though Forbin is the father of this system, he now fights desperately to find a way to stop it. When another attempt is made by both the US and Russia to violate the computer controlled system a nuclear missile is ordered launched at Moscow with the same being unleashed upon the US.

The tryst

Forbin attempts to pass on plans by word of mouth to a female assistant scientist convincing Colossus that he has a mistress and needs to have total privacy as a man needs to have intimacy and conjugal visitation with a woman. The bargaining works and Forbin is allowed 4 nights a week to undress and lay in bed alongside his colleague under the aegis of a sexual relationship so the two can pass along plans secretly without being discovered. Yet, even with this slim window of drawing up plans for another attempt at wresting control of mankind away from Colossus, by the end of the movie, the ominous future of forced rule of the human race seems carved in stone by artificial intelligence and a ruthless electronic god. As Colossus tells Forbin that resistance is futile and what Colossus plans for mankind, Forbin defiantly replies “Never! Never!” The monster he unwittingly designed cannot be restrained!

Should have been first

This futuristic thriller predated even “2001 a Space Odyssey” with Hal being the onboard computer who begins to see humans as a nuisance and is even willing to liquidate them, but Universal Pictures delayed the release of the “Colossus The Forbin Project” in favor of 2001 as they did not think it would be much of a success. So, it turns out Colossus becomes the nemesis of mankind first though not distributed before the release of “A Space Odyssey”, Arthur C. Clarke’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s direction masterpiece.

Could it be possible?

Does the present situation corroborate the scenario of Colossus? It is true that computers are writing their own code to more efficiently communicate with one another while communicating with humans with the original written language used by their creators. Elon Musk is extremely concerned that with everything being run by Artificial Intelligence while it continue to evolve becoming more powerful, more creative, and as some fear, closer to becoming self-aware or as others put it, conscious. In such case that it would then come to its own conclusion forming an opinion of a violent, warring, and immoral race of cruel and unpredictable creatures, draconian measures by AI could become a brutal reality. Mankind could be construed as a threat in need of being controlled. Artificial Intelligence has already displayed independent creativity, complex problem solving, massively correct legal document preparation better than teams of seasoned lawyers, but the compounded speed at which it learns and develops in geometrical leaps concerns many experts.

https://youtu.be/u2cISMlN-YE