[stonogo]

The difference is between inaccuracy of a weapon hitting a target and inaccuracy of target selection in the first place.

Remember the scene in Men In Black where the recruita do target practice? They were all accurate at hitting what they shot at but only Will Smith's character was accurate at selecting a target. This AI chooses targets; it does not fire weapons.

[astockwell]

Haha having recently rewatched MIB with my daughter after ~15 years, I don't think Will Smith correctly selected the target... :'D

[ceejayoz]

I think you very much missed the context of that scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORHAP6duw9E

The job is not "shoot aliens". It's manage aliens, including Earth's population of legal resident aliens (like the taxi driver who he delivers a baby for). The Big Bad of the film is indeed posing as a human, and Smith's character runs into an endless procession of innocent (or at least non-capital-crime) aliens he should not shoot along the way.

There's a reason he gets hired over all the military folks in the scene immediately blasting away at the aliens in the shooting range.

[mda]

Observes and kills a child carrying the science book.

[ceejayoz]

The entire segment this is part of makes it very clear they're looking for out-of-the-box thinking and a unique approach to problem solving in situations that might not be what they seem at first glance.

It starts with uncomfortable chairs and a written test on flimsy paper without desks; Smith's character noisily pulls over a table to write on while the military folks do the expected thing of struggling through. "You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training", they get told, and then their memories are wiped. Smith's character, instead, gets a briefing on the MIB and an intro to alien bugs pouring Kay some coffee.

(Said briefing also indicates Earth is a neutral zone for alien refugees. Again, "shoot first" is not what they want people doing!)

[mda]

I watched the movie 2 times in past. I think Smith killing a child just because she is carrying science books (Oh she must be up to something) was sure out of the box and completely ridiculous as well. Also, how is Smith's characters action not "Shoot first"? please.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

>> There's a reason he gets hired over all the military folks in the scene immediately blasting away at the aliens in the shooting range.

Yes, because he's Will Smith.

[mandmandam]

No. There's an important point being made here.

Not to be the tone police or anything, but a HN discussion of AI-powered mass murder really isn't the time to be glib.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

It's a (sub) thread about MIB and there's plenty of levity throughout it. I think I'm fine.

No problem with tone policing for me. I think that's how this board works, although more implicitly.

[wavefunction]

"Just following orders" huh? I can't believe I'm being offered Will Smith analogies as apologia for an actual genocide. This is one of the most of awful (in all senses quality, content, intention, execution) posts I've ever read in my entire life.

[ceejayoz]

I’m fairly certain you’ve completely misread the post.

It’s a criticism of letting the AI pick targets.