Atlas and Smith: A Human-AI Bond Amidst the AI Debate

New Zealand
Atlas was raised alongside a robot named Harlan who became an AI terrorist, causing war between humans and machines. The film explores the complexities of the AI debate and touches upon the importance of embracing machines as friends rather than fearing them.
Jennifer Lopez stars as Atlas Shepherd, an expert analyst for the International Coalition of Nations tasked with locating and eliminating Harlan, the world's first AI terrorist. Atlas bonds with a sentient mech suit named Smith and begins to question her beliefs about artificial intelligence.
Netflix's Atlas is a sci-fi actioner that received mixed reviews, with some critics praising the chemistry between Lopez and her mech suit while others found it to be a by-the-numbers action thriller.
Atlas and Smith: A Human-AI Bond Amidst the AI Debate

In the near future, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a contentious issue as rogue automatons threaten humanity. Jennifer Lopez stars as Atlas Shepherd, an expert analyst for the International Coalition of Nations (ICN), tasked with locating and eliminating Harlan, the world's first AI terrorist who leads an offensive against humans. Atlas has grown to despise AI due to her fear of hacking and exploitation. However, when she bonds with a sentient mech suit named Smith, she begins to question her beliefs about artificial intelligence.

Atlas spent 28 years trying to locate Harlan's whereabouts. The film introduces ARC suits with a 'safe two-way consciousness' shared by humans and mechs, promoting coexistence with regulated oversight. Atlas finds herself inside an ARC suit named Smith, leading to a vulnerable and natural chemistry between human and AI.

Netflix's Atlas is a sci-fi actioner that explores the complexities of the AI debate. The film features a buddy comedy between Atlas and Smith, as well as grand action sequences. Despite its attempts at seriousness, some critics argue that it fails to truly delve into the issue and instead relies on clichéd tropes.

Atlas was raised alongside a robot named Harlan who became an 'AI terrorist,' causing war between humans and machines. Atlas learns to bond with an entity called Smith and comes to see that AI isn't all bad. The film also touches upon the importance of embracing machines as friends rather than fearing them for destroying jobs or eroding creativity.

The movie received mixed reviews, with some critics praising the chemistry between Lopez and her mech suit while others found it to be a by-the-numbers action thriller. Overall, Atlas offers an entertaining exploration of the AI debate and showcases Jennifer Lopez's versatility as an actress.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • The article mentions that Atlas spent 28 years trying to locate Harlan's whereabouts, but it doesn't specify when she was born or raised. This could potentially impact the age of Atlas and her experiences with AI.
  • The article states that some critics argue that the film fails to truly delve into the issue of AI and instead relies on clichéd tropes, but it doesn't provide any specific examples or sources for these criticisms.

Sources

80%

  • Unique Points
    • Atlas spends 28 years trying to locate Harlan’s whereabouts to eliminate the threat
    • Atlas has grown to loathe AI and futuristic tech due to fear of hacking and exploitation
    • Netflix’s Atlas features a buddy comedy between Atlas and a sentient mech suit named Smith who looks like Siri
  • Accuracy
    • Jennifer Lopez stars in Netflix’s latest streaming action movie Atlas
    • Atlas is a sci-fi movie about a human sister trying to eliminate an evil AI brother named Harlan
    • Harlan, an advanced AI bot, helped liberate other machines but then issued an ominous threat to humanity and went into hiding off-planet
  • Deception (70%)
    The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author expresses his opinion that the movie 'takes itself far too seriously' and 'fails to really dig into the complexities of the AI debate.' He also states that 'every other part of the movie seems to be fighting against Atlas’ true form.' These statements are editorializing as they reflect the author's personal feelings towards the movie. Additionally, he selectively reports on certain aspects of the movie, such as its serious tone and lack of exploration into complex AI themes, while ignoring other aspects that could be seen as positive, such as the humor and banter between Jennifer Lopez's character and her AI companion. He also makes a comparison to real-world concerns regarding AI without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
    • Every other part of the movie seems to be fighting against Atlas’ true form.
    • The movie takes itself far too seriously.
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article contains some exaggerations and appeals to authority, but it also provides balanced criticism of the movie. The author presents both the positive aspects (funny moments, banter between characters) and negative aspects (predictability, lack of exploration of AI themes) of the film. However, there are no instances where the author misrepresents or takes quotes out of context.
    • You would think that a sci-fi movie where Jennifer Lopez partners with a smart-ass, sentient mech suit to fight against her evil AI brother would be a little more fun. Alas, Atlas — Netflix’s latest attempt at a hit streaming action movie — takes itself far too seriously.
    • The most important thing you need to know about Atlas is that she has grown to absolutely loathe AI and, by extension, most futuristic tech.
    • This fear extends particularly to a device called a Neural Link (not to be confused with the Elon Musk-backed Neuralink), which lets a human mind connect directly to an AI companion. It’s a cool idea, but the movie never slows down enough to explore it in depth.
  • Bias (90%)
    The author expresses a clear bias against AI and futuristic tech throughout the article. He repeatedly mentions Atlas' fear and loathing of AI, and her belief that it cannot be trusted. The author also uses language that depicts Harlan, an advanced AI, as boring rather than scary or menacing.
    • Atlas is cranky and sarcastic, and because of his adaptive learning capabilities, Smith soon becomes exactly the same. The AI swears and makes jokes, dishing it out to Atlas the same way she does to him. The banter is genuinely funny.
      • It could’ve been fun and smart – instead, like a lot of AI right now, it’s neither.
        • The problem with Atlas isn’t so much that it’s predictable (though that doesn’t help), but that the movie doesn’t lean into this strength. Outside of Smith and Atlas, everything else about Atlas is self-serious and dull.
          • You would think that a sci-fi movie where Jennifer Lopez partners with a smart-ass, sentient mech suit to fight against her evil AI brother would be a little more fun. Alas, Atlas – Netflix’s latest attempt at a hit streaming action movie – takes itself far too seriously.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          90%

          Atlas Review

          IGN Comics Reporting Site Friday, 24 May 2024 01:00
          • Unique Points
            • Jennifer Lopez stars as Atlas Shepherd in Atlas, a sci-fi actioner about AI and human collaboration.
            • Atlas Shepherd is an expert analyst for the International Coalition of Nations (ICN) in a future where automatons have gone rogue.
            • Harlan, played by Simu Liu, is the world’s first AI terrorist who leads an offensive against humanity.
            • The film introduces ARC suits with a ‘safe two-way consciousness’ shared by humans and mechs, promoting coexistence with regulated oversight.
            • Atlas Shepherd finds herself inside an ARC suit named Smith, leading to a vulnerable and natural chemistry between human and AI.
          • Accuracy
            • ,
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (85%)
            The author makes an appeal to authority by mentioning other movies, shows, games, and books as cautionary tales about AI. This is a fallacy because it assumes that just because these works exist and share a similar theme, they are automatically valid or accurate in their portrayal of AI.
            • The script might be paper-thin, and its themes may be written in bright neon lights, but with a movie star like Lopez at the controls, Atlas never falters.
            • Brad Peyton oversees a futuristic action thriller that frequently plays like a clone of other cautionary tales about AI
          • Bias (95%)
            The author expresses a clear bias towards AI and its potential benefits, using phrases like 'friendly mechs who protect their harmlessly linked human partners suggest utopian alternatives' and 'Atlas shifts to preaching coexistence with regulated oversight'. The author also portrays those against AI in a negative light, such as Harlan being described as a 'treacherous villain hellbent on genocide who might as well be a Skynet Trojan Horse'. The author's language is consistently positive towards AI and negative towards those opposed to it.
            • Atlas shifts to preaching coexistence with regulated oversight
              • friendly mechs who protect their harmlessly linked human partners suggest utopian alternatives
                • treacherous villain hellbent on genocide who might as well be a Skynet Trojan Horse
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication

                74%

                • Unique Points
                  • Atlas was raised alongside a robot named Harlan who became an ‘AI terrorist’, causing war between humans and machines.
                  • Atlas learns to bond with an entity called Smith and comes to see that AI isn’t all bad.
                • Accuracy
                  • Harlan, played by Simu Liu, is the world’s first AI terrorist who leads an offensive against humanity.
                  • Harlan helps liberate other machines but then issues an ominous threat to humanity and goes into hiding off-planet.
                • Deception (30%)
                  The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author expresses their opinion that the film is 'synthetic and serious' with 'none of the awe we should get from a film such as this.' They also state that the script has 'eye-rolling banter' and that some scenes are 'embarrassingly awful.' These statements are not facts, but rather opinions. Additionally, the author selectively reports on certain aspects of the film while ignoring others. For example, they mention that Lopez's performance is affected by subpar VFX work and corny dialogue, but they do not mention any positive aspects of her performance or the film as a whole. This selective reporting gives an incomplete and potentially misleading picture of the film.
                  • Given the ever-present threat of AI destroying jobs and eroding creativity, a story of the importance of breaking down one’s tech-resistance and embracing machines as our new BFFs doesn’t feel as moving as the film would like us to think at this very moment.
                  • For much of the film, Lopez is then situated inside a robotic mech suit, learning to fight and befriending an entity called Smith, finding that actually, maybe AI isn’t that bad after all. So much then relies on Lopez’s face which (thanks to some subpar VFX work) is left to judder a little eerily around a green screen
                  • The script from Aron Eli Coleite and Leo Sardarian trying and repeatedly failing to inject humour into their eye-rolling banter
                • Fallacies (75%)
                  The article contains some inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or informal fallacies were found in the author's assertions. The score is reduced due to these elements.
                  • knowing nostalgia bait, designed to appeal to those who prefer to look back rather than forward
                  • an exercise in early 2000s immersion
                  • a bit of an awkward mismatch
                  • Atlas does an awfully good job of showing us why we should still be wary of it.
                • Bias (90%)
                  The author expresses a negative attitude towards the film 'Atlas' and its production, implying that it is synthetic and serious without self-awareness. The author also criticizes the script for having cringeworthy dialogue and failing to inject humor effectively. These criticisms suggest a bias against the film.
                  • It's all too synthetic and serious to possess anything close to self-awareness.
                    • The script from Aron Eli Coleite and Leo Sardarian trying and repeatedly failing to inject humour into their eye-rolling banter.
                    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication

                    61%

                    • Unique Points
                      • Jennifer Lopez stars in the Netflix film Atlas as a government employee named Atlas Shepherd.
                      • Atlas discovers Harlan’s extraterrestrial hideout and is roped into an attack mission against him.
                    • Accuracy
                      • Atlas is a sci-fi movie about a human sister trying to eliminate an evil AI brother named Harlan
                      • Harlan, an advanced AI bot, helped liberate other machines but then issued an ominous threat to humanity and went into hiding off-planet
                      • Harlan, played by Simu Liu, is the world’s first AI terrorist who leads an offensive against humanity.
                    • Deception (30%)
                      The article contains editorializing and pontification by the author, as well as emotional manipulation through language such as 'biggest misfires', 'graceless approach', 'nonsensical, emotionless dreck', and 'trainwreck'. The author also engages in selective reporting by focusing on the negative aspects of the film without providing any context or balance. Additionally, there is a lack of disclosure regarding sources used in the article.
                      • Atlas is easily one of the year’s biggest trainwrecks... Even worse: The movie’s flaccid stance on AI is more aggravating than if its filmmakers had simply taken a narrative risk and just gotten it wrong.
                      • As a creative, I am constantly worrying myself with questions about artificial intelligence... Will my job be obsolete one day?
                      • The film is a nonsensical, emotionless dreck that can’t conjure a compelling character to save its dwindling life.
                    • Fallacies (65%)
                      The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the film as 'nonsensical, emotionless dreck' and 'biggest trainwreck'. He also makes a dichotomous depiction of AI by first stating that it is bad and then later stating that Atlas' mind and Smith's technology will produce 'something greater'.
                      • >The film is a nonsensical, emotionless dreck<
                      • >biggest trainwreck<
                      • >Atlas treats all of these banal concepts with an unearned gravity, as if they’re part of something grand<
                      • >Initially, the film takes a firm AI is bad stance.<
                    • Bias (50%)
                      The author expresses a clear dislike for the movie 'Atlas' and its portrayal of artificial intelligence. The author uses derogatory language to describe the film as 'nonsensical, emotionless dreck' and 'a heaping helping of CGI slop'. The author also expresses frustration with the film's lack of depth in addressing complex topics like AI and genocide. These statements demonstrate a bias against the movie and its portrayal of artificial intelligence.
                      • Initially, the film takes a firm ‘AI is bad’ stance. Moments later, Atlas is forced to reconcile her distrust...
                        • The answers are out there, and no one is more qualified than Jennifer Lopez to pursue them. Excuse me, did I say Jennifer Lopez? I meant counterterrorism analyst Atlas Shepherd, the titular character in Lopez’s latest film, Atlas...
                          • The film is a nonsensical, emotionless dreck that can’t conjure a compelling character to save its dwindling life.
                          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                            None Found At Time Of Publication
                          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                            None Found At Time Of Publication