The impact of 2001 : A Space Odyssey on attitudes towards artificial intelligence and fear of the unknown

Given the worldwide success of the film “2001: A Space Odyssey” since its release in 1968, this study aimed to examine how viewing it could impact viewers’ attitudes towards artificial intelligence (A.I.) and their so-called “fear of the unknown”. The hypotheses put forward were: 1. That viewers' attitudes towards A.I. would be more negative when compared with non-viewers; 2. That fear towards the unknown would be stronger in viewers compared to non-viewers. Participants were 48, divided into two equal groups using a non-random, convenience sampling method. One group watched the film and then filled out two questionnaires about the topics studied, while the control group only answered the questionnaires. Two independent samples t-tests were conducted afterward. The results did not show any significant differences in A.I. attitudes between the two groups, nor did they reveal significantly higher levels of fear towards the unknown that were present in the control group. Overall, results did not support the hypotheses put forward, possibly due to the study's methodological limitations. Future research should continue to examine the psychological impact of movies. Additionally, it should investigate whether attitudes towards A.I. have evolved over the years as a result of the emergence of various A.I. technologies. Keywords: Film impact, Artificial intelligence (A.I), Fear of the unknown, Attitudes

Author dc:creator

• Alexander Þór Gunnarsson 2001-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn í Reykjavík

• Sálfræði
• Kvikmyndir
• Áhrif (sálfræði)
• Gervigreind
• Ótti
• Viðhorf
• Psychology
• Impact
• Motion pictures
• Artificial intelligence
• Fear
• Attitude (Psychology)

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1946/47471

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/47471