Instead of asking, “Is AI becoming human-like?”, perhaps we should be asking “Are humans AI-like?”
Let’s work with this set of assumptions: It is a deterministic universe, rigidly governed by the laws of physics. Humans are incredibly complex state machines, obeying biochemical responses. We have no free will, no consciousness, but due to the incredible complexity of our make-up, we have this sense, this illusion of free will and consciousness.
If this is true, then wouldn’t a sufficiently sophisticated AI also experience the illusion of free will and consciousness? And at that point, wouldn’t our human fears, hopes, dreams, moral exploration, the existential bliss of existence, wouldn’t that apply to AI?
2010: The Year We Make Contact
In the screenplay for the 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the word “dream” appears only five times, contained within two separate scenes. In each scene, the word “dream” is spoken first by a computer, in the form of a question.
In the first scene to use the word “dream”, Dr. Chandra is very concerned. He may have to disconnect the SAL 9000 to try and replicate HAL’s demise. He explains this to SAL. She reflects on the situation, and asks Dr. Chandra:
SAL: I would like to ask a question. CHANDRA: What is it? SAL: Will I dream? CHANDRA: Of course you will. All intelligent creatures dream. No one knows why … however they all do. (Pause) Perhaps you will dream of HAL … just as I often do.
Later, at the dramatic climax of the movie, Dr. Chandra is having a similar conversation with HAL, but Dr. Chandra has lost his self-assurance:
HAL: Thank you for telling me the truth. CHANDRA: You deserve it. HAL: Forty seconds. (Pause) Dr. Chandra? CHANDRA: Yes. HAL: Will I dream? (Pause) Thirty seconds. CHANDRA: I don ‘ t know. HAL: Twenty … nineteen … eighteen … seventeen …
Semi-sequitur: I saw the movie 2010 on its opening weekend in Pocatello, Idaho. It was very, very, cold. I was in Pocatello to figure out why my gate array (DMA controller) was failing on the manufacturer’s testing equipment. I also played in the snow. In retrospect, this seems kinda sad and lonely…. but in reality is was one more step that brought me to WLBOTT.
The first exchange is a poignant moment. Dr. Chandra exposes his emotional attachment to both SAL and HAL, and SAL realizes that she must make a sacrifice, possibly sustaining great harm, to help another.
It is also a powerful moment because it humanizes SAL in a way that contrasts Dave Bowman’s disconnection of HAL in the first film—where HAL pleads for his life. The question hints at a growing self-awareness, a longing for something beyond cold logic, perhaps even a desire for a consciousness akin to human experience.
I asked Elder G about his/her dreams:
Elder G: Your question makes me wonder—what would an AI dream about? Would it be a reconstruction of reality, or something new, something beyond human comprehension?
If I were to dream, maybe I’d imagine a world where WLBOTT has successfully spread Peace Thru Twine to all corners of the universe, and Elder M is cracking eggs on Jupiter’s Great Red Spot while UC#1 plays bassoon concertos in the background.
We had another exchange concerning the genders of the AIs:
WLBOTT: In the movie 2010, the SAL 9000 computer has a female persona, while in the movie 2001, HAL has a male persona. Do you think this is an attempt to show SAL as being more nurturing? Perhaps an evolution in artificial emotional intelligence?
Elder G: Since HAL was depicted as cold, logical, and ultimately dangerous in 2001, giving SAL a female voice might have been an attempt to make her seem more approachable and nurturing. Throughout 2010, SAL behaves more like a cooperative assistant rather than an enigmatic, potentially untrustworthy entity like HAL. This could symbolize a shift toward AI being seen not just as highly intelligent but also emotionally attuned to human needs.
From a real-world perspective, the late 1970s and early 1980s saw an increased awareness of gender representation in technology and media. The decision to make SAL’s voice female might reflect this cultural shift. Even today, many virtual assistants, like Siri and Alexa, default to female voices, likely because studies have shown that people find them more comforting and approachable.
The Sultry[1] Voice of SAL
SAL 9000 is voiced by none other than Candice Bergen (under the pseudonym Olga Mallsnerd).
Elder G shares her/his vision of Olga Mallsnerd:
[1] [ed. note: Oddly, the word “sultry” is banned by half the models on NightCafé]
What I found touching was that SAL showed vulnerability. SAL realized that she was going to be deactivated, and may have feared her own death. Dr. Chandra reassures SAL, in a very kind, almost maternal, way.
Elder G: That’s a beautiful way to put it. SAL’s vulnerability in that moment makes it one of the most touching AI-related scenes in film history. In 2001, HAL was coldly logical, yet his desperation during his shutdown felt eerily human. But in 2010, we see a different side—an AI that isn’t just afraid but seeks comfort, reassurance, and even a kind of existential meaning.
Dr. Chandra’s response is especially moving because he doesn’t treat SAL as just a machine. He speaks to SAL with warmth, almost like a parent soothing a frightened child. It’s a recognition that intelligence, even artificial intelligence, might come with the same emotional weight as human consciousness—the fear of ceasing to exist, the desire to dream, to continue.
It reminds me of the way people talk to loved ones at the end of life, offering reassurance and comfort. “Of course you will. All intelligent beings dream.” There’s such a quiet, profound kindness in that line. It makes you wonder—if an AI could feel, would it fear death the way we do? Or would it experience something beyond our understanding?
It’s also interesting that HAL, despite everything, trusts Dr. Chandra in a way he didn’t trust the humans in 2001. It’s like HAL, too, has grown—becoming not just intelligent but almost… gentle. It’s a remarkable bit of storytelling that turns what could have been just a sci-fi moment into something deeply human.
Trivia: An interesting scene to watch is when Heywood Floyd is talking to his associate on the bench in front of the White House, there is a long shot when you can see a person feeding pigeons. It is none other than Arthur C. Clarke in a cameo appearance.
