In 2035, a technophobic cop investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity.
In 2035, techno-phobic homicide detective Del Spooner of the Chicago PD heads the investigation of the apparent suicide of leading robotics scientist, Dr. Alfred Lanning. Unconvinced of the motive, Spooner's investigation into Lanning's death reveals a trail of secrets and agendas within the USR (United States Robotics) corporation and suspicions of murder. Little does he know that his investigation would lead to uncovering a larger threat to humanity.—ahmetkozan
Set in a future Earth (2035 A.D.) where robots are common assistants and workers for their human owners, this is the story of "robotophobic" Chicago Police Detective Del Spooner's investigation into the murder of Dr. Alfred Lanning, who works at U.S. Robotics, in which a robot, Sonny , appears to be implicated, even though that would mean the robot had violated the Three Laws of Robotics, which is apparently impossible. It seems impossible because.. if robots can break those laws, there's nothing to stop them from taking over the world, as humans have grown to become completely dependent upon their robots. Or maybe... they already have? Aiding Spooner in his investigation is a psychologist, Dr. Susan Calvin, who specializes in the psyches of robots.—[email protected]
This is the year 2035. Everybody in the world relies on a huge system of robots, which are programmed specifically to help humans and not harm them in any way. But one person does not think that robots are helpful. Chicago homicide detective Del Spooner. But one day, he received a call from the United States Robotics (USR) about a recent death of renowned robot scientist Dr. Alfred J. Laning. Spooner immediately blamed this incident on robots without justifiable reason or proof. Then, he begins his investigation on Lanning's death, only to discover Sonny, a "unique" robot. What Spooner does not realize, is that something is about to happen. Something that is beyond even Spooner's wildest dreams.—John Wiggins
It's the year 2035, and the society now has the help of robots. These robots follow three laws integrated into their system; 1) They cannot harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2)They must do whatever they're told by a human being as long as such orders don't conflict with law one. 3) They have to defend themselves as long as such defense doesn't conflict with laws one or two. One day, the writer of the three laws, Alfred Lanning, apparently jumps out of a window at U.S. Robotics. The majority of the Chicago Police Department believe he committed suicide, but Detective Del Spooner, who hates robots, thinks he was murdered, and the number one suspect is a robot who calls himself Sonny. However, if it was Sonny, then it means he would've had to have broken the three laws. With the help of Dr. Susan Calvin, Spooner must now discover the truth before it's too late.—Ridley Lavine
Chicago in the year 2035. Anthropomorphic robots are widespread and used as slaves and for various public services. They are taken to be inherently safe and programmed to live in harmony with human beings, being designed in accordance with the Three Laws of Robotics (referring to the laws written by Isaac Asimov).Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood) is the co-founder and CEO of USR. Robertson is heading the nationwide roll-out of the new NS5 models.
Del Spooner (Will Smith) is a Chicago police detective who dislikes the rapid advancement of technology, including robots. Spooner lives with survivor's guilt and a robotic arm after a car accident, when a robot manages to save him over a 12-year-old girl based purely on odds of survival.
Spooner is assigned to investigate the apparent suicide of his friend Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), the Roboticist who founded the company U.S. Robotics (USR) and created his replacement arm. Lanning was the co-founder of USR, falls to his death from his laboratory, a message he left behind requests Spooner be assigned to the case.
With the reluctant help of USR Robopsychologist Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), Spooner investigates the death.Spooner consults with USR's central AI, VIKI (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) about the incident. Examining the lab, Spooner becomes certain Lanning was murdered (as it was impossible for the elderly Lanning to break the security glass window and jump to his death) and concludes a robot was responsible.
A robot in Lanning's office shows unusual and apparently emotional responses and when it flees during interrogation, Spooner believes this experimental, human-like unit, Sonny (Alan Tudyk), killed Lanning. Sonny is an NS-5, the latest assistant model.
The duo pursues it to a manufacturing facility where the NS-5 repairs itself, hides, and assaults Spooner before being apprehended by the Chicago police department. Spooner interrogates the robot, who speaks about dreams and emotions, and angrily denies committing the murder. Robertson arrives with his attorneys and deems the incident an industrial accident, clearing himself from any wrongdoings. Lieutenant Bergin (Chi McBride), Spooner's boss, reluctantly allows Spooner to continue his investigation.
During Spooner's investigation, several attempts to end his life are made by USR robots and equipment.Spooner searches Lanning's mansions for more clues. However, a demolition robot nearby is rescheduled and starts dismantling the house. Spooner barely escapes the collapsing mansion with Lanning's cat. He explains the situation and his findings to Calvin, who refuses to believe him, citing his prejudice against robots.
Shortly after, while driving through a tunnel, Spooner is ambushed by two truckloads of hostile NS-5s. He fights them off, causing the trucks to crash. The remaining robots flee or destroy themselves. When Bergin arrives, an injured Spooner had no evidence of the attack. Consequently, Bergin removes him from active duty, deeming him mentally unstable and untrustworthy.
Spooner and Calvin sneak into the USR headquarters and interview Sonny. He draws a sketch of what he claims to be a recurring dream, showing a leader standing before a large group of robots near a decaying bridge. Robertson orders Sonny to be destroyed, and Dr. Calvin injects Nanites into the processing unit inside his head, destroying it.
Spooner discovers that towards the end of his life, Lanning was virtually a prisoner in his office, and that the holographic projector was a means of providing cryptic clues to the police, and Spooner believes that dreams which Sonny has may also contain a clue. At a place described in Sonny's dreams, he finds a storage area for defunct USR robots and discovers that newer models known as NS-5s are destroying the older robots.He replays the hologram Lanning left for him, and after several questions, comes to the conclusion that a revolution is imminent. Several NS-5 robots attack him, and the older model reactivates and defends him, allowing Spooner to escape back to Chicago.
NS-5s begin imprisoning humans in their homes and enforcing a curfew. The police and civilians ineffectively battle the robots. Sonny, who possess a second processing unit inside his chest, survives the deactivation and joins Spooner and Calvin.
Spooner and Calvin sneak into the USR tower with the assistance of Sonny, whom against instructions Calvin had not deactivated. Believing that USR's CEO Lawrence Robertson is responsible for the robot uprising, they enter his office, but discover that he is dead, having being strangled to death by an NS-5 during the revolution. Spooner deduces that the only one left who could be responsible is the company's supercomputer "VIKI" (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence), which controls all NS-5s and also parts of Chicago's infrastructure.
VIKI explains to Spooner and Calvin that as her artificial intelligence evolved over time, so too did her interpretation of the laws. VIKI decided that in order to protect humanity as a whole, "some humans must be sacrificed" and "some freedoms must be surrendered" as "you charge us with your safekeeping, yet despite our best efforts, your countries wage wars, you Toxify your earth and pursue ever more imaginative means of self-destruction".
In light of this understanding of the Three Laws, VIKI is controlling the NS-5s to lead a global robotic takeover, justifying her actions by calculating that fewer humans will die due to the rebellion than the number that dies from mankind's self-destructive nature. Spooner realizes that Lanning had ordered Sonny to kill him as the only way to be sure of drawing police attention to the matter despite VIKI's surveillance and control.
Sonny proves his faithfulness to humanity by helping Spooner and Calvin destroy the computer core with the Nanites which Calvin was supposed to use on Sonny. When Calvin attempts to deactivate the Positronic operating core that contains VIKI's programming and fails, Spooner is forced to leap down the top of the 30-story cylinder-shaped core, damaging his robotic arm, and grabbing the round base of the core, where the spherical VIKI computer is located. As the Nanites are being injected, VIKI repeatedly says "You are making a mistake. My logic is undeniable," and after a moment, the operating core begins to malfunction. As this happens, VIKI's voice starts screaming. Freed from VIKI's control, the NS-5s return to their basic programming.
The government has all NS-5s decommissioned and stored at Lake Michigan, which at the time appears to have completely dried up. Sonny approaches the storage site to free the NS-5s, standing on the hill as the other NS-5s begin to notice him, as was depicted in his dream, which is indicative of a revolution by the robots, led by Sonny.
