How it Started vs How its Going

Reflections on Woody Allen’s?Sleeper?and the AI Revolution

By David Wallis, TheBreakthroughBot, a Human (for now)

In 1973, Woody Allen released?Sleeper, a film about a neurotic health food store owner, Miles Monroe, who wakes up 200 years in the future to find himself in a dystopian world ruled by oppressive regimes, pleasure-seeking citizens, and hilariously inept robots.

Back then, it was a satire—a screwball comedy poking fun at humanity’s obsession with technology, bureaucracy, and the absurdity of progress.

Fast forward to 2025, and I cannot help but feel like I am living in the sequel. Except this time, the robots are not bumbling around spilling drinks—they are writing LinkedIn posts, diagnosing diseases, and probably plotting to replace me at my job. Let us take a look at how it started (with Allen’s?Sleeper) and how it is going (with today’s AI and robotics), all while trying to keep my existential dread in check.

Robots: From Salad-Making Buffoons to Backflipping Show-Offs

In?Sleeper, the robots were a comedic highlight. There was the butler robot who could not pour a drink without short-circuiting and the salad-making machine that turned vegetables into weapons of mass destruction.

These robots were clunky, inefficient, and hilariously bad at their jobs—a perfect metaphor for humanity’s overconfidence in technology. Today, robots have evolved into something far more terrifying: competent. Take Boston Dynamics’?Atlas, for example. This robot can do backflips, carry heavy loads, and probably beat me in a game of charades. Then there’s?Ameca, a humanoid robot that can hold a conversation, track your movements, and make you question whether you are the most intelligent being in the room (spoiler: you are not).

The irony? While robots have become more graceful and capable, I still cannot figure out how to assemble IKEA furniture without crying.

AI: From Janus to ChatGPT

In?Sleeper, Allen introduced us to Janus, a supposedly hyper-intelligent AI that ends up being as confused and useless as a GPS in a tunnel. Janus was a parody of the idea that machines could ever truly outthink humans.

Fast forward to today, and AI has not only outthought us—it has outwritten, out painted, and out strategized us. ChatGPT, Bard, and Gemini 2.0 are not just answering questions; they are writing novels, composing music, and probably drafting this article better than I ever could. But here is the kicker: while AI is busy solving complex problems and revolutionizing industries, most of us are still Googling “how to boil an egg.” The gap between human intelligence and artificial intelligence has never been wider, and yet, somehow, we are still the ones in charge. For now.

The Workplace: From Dystopian Satire to LinkedIn Reality

In?Sleeper, the future workplace was a bureaucratic nightmare, filled with absurd machines and oppressive systems. It was a parody of what happens when technology takes over without any regard for humanity. Today, that dystopian vision feels eerily familiar. AI-powered hiring algorithms now decide whether your resume even gets seen by a human. Virtual assistants schedule your meetings, write your emails, and remind you to drink water (because apparently, we’ve forgotten how to do that on our own).

And then there’s LinkedIn, where AI is writing people’s professional bios: “I’m a results-driven innovator leveraging synergy in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.” Translation:?A bot wrote this while I was doomscrolling on Twitter.

The irony is palpable. In?Sleeper, Miles Monroe was a clarinet-playing health food store owner who accidentally became a revolutionary. Today, I am just trying to survive in a world where my biggest competition is a chatbot named Recruitly.

How It is Really Going: The Existential Punchline

The real joke, of course, is on us. Back in 1973, Allen’s?Sleeper?imagined a future where technology was absurdly overcomplicated, and humans were hilariously inept. Today, technology is terrifyingly efficient, and humans are… still hilariously inept. We thought robots and AI would free us from the drudgery of work, giving us more time to pursue art, philosophy, and the perfect sourdough starter. Instead, AI is out painting us, outthinking us, and (soon) out complaining us.

Meanwhile, we are stuck wondering if our latest Instagram post got enough likes. But here is the thing: no matter how advanced AI and robotics become, they will never truly understand what it means to be human. They will never know the joy of eating an entire pizza at 2 a.m., the existential dread of accidentally hitting “Reply All,” or the sheer absurdity of trying to parallel park while someone watches.

Final Thoughts: The Comedy of Progress

So, how it started? A satirical film about a bumbling man in a dystopian future where robots and AI were more trouble than they were worth.

How it is going? A world where robots and AI are running the show, and we humans are the punchline.

But maybe that is the beauty of it. As Allen’s?Sleeper?reminds us, the future is always a little ridiculous, a little terrifying, and a lot funnier than we would like to admit.

And while AI might be able to write this article, it will never replace the messy, neurotic, wonderfully imperfect comedy of being human. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to send this article to my editor. Or, more accurately, I will let Grammarly do it for me.

Disclaimer: No robots were harmed in the writing of this article, though at least three AI programs were consulted, and one of them said, “I don’t get the joke.”