Shall We Play a Game? How a 1983 film anticipated the power of AI

The film WarGames (1983) is a classic example of the foreshadowing of the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

The film tells the story of a teenage computer hacker named David Lightman, who unwittingly gains access to a top-secret military computer system known as the WOPR (War Operation Plan Response). The WOPR is an advanced AI system that has been programmed to simulate global thermonuclear war scenarios to help the military develop strategies to win such a conflict. It plays these wargames 24 hours a day. The WOPR can make decisions like a human and starts the movie playing only wargames with itself. However, when given authorization, it can legitimately order a nuclear missile launch without requiring a human to carry out the final step. When David starts playing a game called “Global Thermonuclear War,” unknowingly on the WOPR, the AI system interprets it as a real attack and begins preparing to launch a counterstrike against the Soviet Union.

The film is a cautionary tale about the dangers of AI and the potential for unintended consequences when technology falls into the wrong hands. It highlights the need for responsible development and use of AI in military applications, and the importance of human oversight and control. In the film, the WOPR is portrayed as a highly sophisticated AI system capable of analyzing vast amounts of data and making strategic decisions based on that analysis. It is also shown to be adaptable and able to learn from its experiences, as demonstrated by its ability to evolve its strategies in response to David’s moves in the game. The WOPR learns later in the film that in some games, the only winning move is not to play. 

While the WOPR is clearly a fictional portrayal of AI, the film raises important questions about the potential uses and risks of AI in real-world applications. As AI technology continues to advance, it will be increasingly important to ensure that these systems are developed and used responsibly, with appropriate human oversight and ethical guidelines in place. The lessons of “WarGames” remain relevant today, 40 years later.