When the source material that inspired it was first written in 1950, the plot would have been about as far-fetched as it comes. Even when the feature-length adaptation was released in 2004, the story seemed like it would be a long way away yet. These days, though, I, Robot is hardly the flight of fancy it once was.
Of course, we’re not quite at the stage of having automatons assuming menial duties as part of the workforce, but it’s not exactly something that even seems decades away. AI is becoming a bigger and bigger issue by the day, which may be the reason why the Will Smith-fronted blockbuster has been piquing curiosity on streaming.
Per FlixPatrol, the 20th Century Fox legacy title has been staging an uprising on its own on the Disney Plus rankings, and by the time the credits roll you’ll either be more worried about our robotic overlords taking over the world, or you’ll find yourself suspiciously convinced that what you really need in your life is a brand new pair of Converse sneakers.
Almost 20 years on from hauling in upwards of $350 million at the box office and being deservedly trounced for its rampant product placement, it’s curious to see I, Robot unfold in the age of AI, with a mild-mannered synthetic assistant being accused of murdering a human and then becoming a fugitive from justice.
Not that we can expect any of its various beats to unfold imminently, but the far-flung fantasy has become a lot closer to a reality in the two decades since it first hit theaters, which is as prescient as it is somewhat terrifying.