Episode 363 - Colossus: The Forbin Project

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of AI as portrayed in the cult sci-fi film 'Colossus: The Forbin Project' and its relevance to contemporary concerns about technology and humanity.

A warning about what AI could do to humanity - and we ain’t talkin’ SkyNet? “Colossus: The Forbin Project” is a cult sci-fi film from 1970 that has been gaining a new following in the last couple of years, since we’re all probably about to be destroyed by rich a**holes who would love to crush us with the AI singularity. We dig into what does and doesn’t work with this early warning shot across the bow… all while wondering if there’s anything to truly be learned about AI from an era when punchcards & magnetic-tape data storage ran super computers the size of mountains and still couldn’t do half of what your iPhone does now. 0:00 - Intros 7:40 - Billy Idol Should Be Dead (Hulu, 2025) 15:15 - Project Hail Mary (2026) 28:30 - Fiend Without A Face (1958) 34:40 - Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Topics covered

• AI
• sci-fi film
• Colossus: The Forbin Project
• humanity
• technology
• warning
• singularity

Keywords

• AI
• Colossus: The Forbin Project
• sci-fi
• 1970 film
• technology
• humanity
• singularity
• warning
• Billy Idol
• Project Hail Mary

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Colossus: The Forbin Project, Project Hail Mary, Fiend Without A Face

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