Austin Fontaine 
Megan Novelli 
Our text defines artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as a “special branch of computer science that investigates the extent to which the mental powers of human beings can be captured by means of machines.” The first thing that came to mind was immediately the movie Disney movie from the 90’s, Smart House. The plot of the movie involves a family, “The Coopers win a “House of the Future” complete with a virtual housemaid codenamed “PAT” (Acronym: Personal Applied Technology). The PAT AI is great for house maintenance, throwing massive parties and making sure the family runs smoothly and flawlessly. But when Nick starts going out with Sarah, the person who created the smart house, Ben reprograms the PAT’s AI Behavior to act more motherly (and makes her watch 1950’s sitcoms), so no one will think that they need a mother. PAT gets far too overprotective, chaotic, and mad, and it’s up to Sarah and Ben to work together and defeat a very smart house (controlled by the now-motherly cybermaid) which tries to take over and control what they see and do.”
Disney\’s Smart House (part 1)
The reality behind this is that there are houses out there available to live in. They can make life easier but along with technology also come problems. I believe most everyone has experience a complication with technology one was or another. From losing a paper due to a computer crash or simply not having cell phone service in an area. Computers can only be as smart as those who design them. So where is this to lead us?
Rachel Jinkerson
1:01 pm, 10.25.10
I remember loving the movie Smart House as a kid. I used to think that it would be so cool to live in a place like that. It would cook any food you wanted and cleaned itself. As a child who didn’t like to cook and clean it was very appealing. Yet, they relied on the house to much and in turn it caused conflict and difficulties. I think it is important not to rely too much on technology. We still need to know how to live life the old fashioned way. Then, if something goes wrong, we can still cope.
Rebekah Hernandez
1:23 pm, 10.25.10
Hey Megan. I totally love the movie smart house!!! I used to think, and I still think, that I would LOVE to have a house like that!! Your last sentence you asked… “so where is this to lead us”… I am not sure if is all the dooms day movies where techology leads to the downfall of man, but a large part of me whats to answer “nowhere good”. however, the movie Meet the Robinson’s (which I am obsessed with) makes me think differently, a more moderate answer.In the movie, most of the technology produced is good, but then there is Doris the “helping hat” who is far from good and would ruin mankind if she had the chance. This movie makes me answer the question thus: Technology will bring us good and bad. We have already seen the proof of this. Technology has brought us the wonders of airplanes and vaccines, but also the evil of mass pornography and atomic bombs. My hope is that the technological good of the future will outweigh the bad.
Morgan Myer
2:23 pm, 10.25.10
This used to be one of my favorite movies. Dont judge me, but I may have known all the choreography of that dance they do in the living room in the middle of the movie. Anyways, I remember being completely terrified when the house goes wrong, yet I still wanted it. What makes us still want technology even though we know the risks?