Examining the advanced technology in the 'Alien' franchise, ranging from medical pods to X-ray torches
The Alien series, a staple of science fiction, offers a captivating vision of the future, with its timeline spanning from the mid-21st to the late 24th century. This article explores the series' depiction of advanced technologies, from cryosleep to consciousness transfer, and compares them to contemporary AI and machine learning.
In the year 2025, the new series 'Alien: Earth' introduces the concept of hybrids, robots uploaded with human consciousness. This innovative technology is just one of the many futuristic advancements showcased in the series. NASA, in its ongoing mission to explore the cosmos, is currently developing an X-ray flashlight for lunar exploration, reminiscent of the X-ray torches used in the Alien universe.
'Alien: Earth' premieres on Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX, with new episodes dropping weekly on Tuesdays. The series promises new tech and storylines, delving into the idea of AI writing emails, driving cars, and even human-sized versions dancing for amusement.
The Alien universe is known for its creative tech inventions, such as the gravity-infused luxury space liner Prometheus and the floating space city in Aliens. Prometheus (2012) also uses mapping drones to scan and create digital maps of mysterious structures. In the series, Prodigy, a corporate rival of Weyland-Yutani, transfers the minds of dying children into super-strong synths.
The series 'Alien: Earth' explores the idea of AI and machine learning becoming more ingrained into everyday life, a concept that is already starting to take shape in today's world. However, the series' portrayal of consciousness transfer or hybrid synthetic beings remains a theoretical and philosophical issue, with no practical advances yet in real-world AI.
In space exploration, current AI assists in autonomous spacecraft navigation, robotic probes, data analysis, and habitat design. But no widespread use of cyborgs, androids, or digital immortality technologies, as shown in the franchise, exist as of yet. Real technologies such as robotic rovers, AI-based data processing, and limited human-machine interfaces exist but are primitive compared to the fully synthetic, superhuman androids and hybrids of Alien lore.
Cryosleep, a method used for long-duration space travel in the series, remains experimental and theoretical today, with no current human application. The artificial intelligence operating certain Weyland-Yutani vessels, known as "Mother", is capable of piloting city-sized ships and alerting crew to threats, a level of autonomy that is still far from reality in today's AI.
In summary, the Alien series envisions a future approximately 100–350 years from now with fully integrated cybernetic and synthetic consciousness technologies in healthcare and space travel that far exceed contemporary AI and machine learning capabilities. The series' timeline reflects a retro-futuristic view marrying advanced bioengineering and AI with space colonization, projecting ideas that remain speculative today.
- In the new series 'Alien: Earth', robots are seen with uploaded human consciousness, a concept resembling machine learning and artificial intelligence.
- NASA is developing an X-ray flashlight for lunar exploration, inspired by X-ray torches used in the Alien universe, reflecting contemporaneous advancements in tech and data-and-cloud-computing.
- The series 'Alien: Earth' proposes AI and machine learning becoming increasingly embedded in daily life, a notion already emerging in our digital world.
- From mapping drones to super-strong synths, the Alien universe showcases tech inventions that surpass present AI and machine learning capacities.
- In reality, AI primarily assists in autonomous spacecraft navigation, robotic probes, data analysis, and habitat design, but not in cybernetic or synthetic consciousness technologies as depicted in the series.
- cryosleep, a travel method in the Alien series, remains an experimental and theoretical concept today, not existing in practical application for humans.
