Droids

I couldn’t wait to see it! My mom was going to take my sister and me to see Star Wars. We were going to the Boman Twin Theater in Tulsa. We were too young to see it during the first release, but back in those days, movies ran for years in theaters. And some, like Star Wars, would have second and third openings.

The theater seemed huge to me as a little guy. I remember the lights dimming and the screen coming to life and the words, etched in memory, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” And then I remember jumping as the epic Main Theme blasted to life. The sound and glowing letters of the crawl filled the theater and transported us all into the incredible world of Star Wars.

My mind was blown. My eyes were glued to the screen. R2-D2 and C-3PO appeared! The first dialogue was 3PO fussing and R2 beeping in response. They were the first characters to appear. They were etched in my mind and quickly knitted to my heart. I wanted a droid! I imagined a future where these characters would wander around in our world with us. They would help us with chores ,which, as a kid, I couldn’t wait to happen. They would join us on adventures and help us discover more about the universe, our planet, and even ourselves. I couldn’t wait! But I eventually settled for some action figures and a kid-sized dream that someday, somewhere, these droids would become real.

We don’t yet have life-sized droids and humanoids living alongside us. But that once-unrealistic future fantasy isn’t so unreal anymore. We see extraordinary development in robotics. We experience emotive characters. We chat with AI agents that are increasingly becoming these fellow travelers who learn about us, relate to us, and collaborate with us. It’s only a matter of time before they even walk among us. And here we are, working every day on exactly that kind of future.

I know there are a lot of concerns about AI. I spent last Friday with a group of technologists, half were AI-doomers, the others were AI-futurists. I think you can probably guess where I land. I’m optimistic, incurably so. I believe our destiny can be golden, ambitious, and bright. I’m also realist enough to know that we have a lot of work ahead of us to plot that destiny with care, in a responsible and positive way. But it is a task worth pursuing. Our future awaits! It can be glorious, fun, and delightful, complete with fussing droids and childhood dreams come true.

In the meantime…

May the 4th be with you!