Reel to Real: 10 'ATLAS' Technologies That Are Closer Than You Think

It was Rakshabandhan festival, and I was traveling to Pune from Bangalore via ??train for celebration. Since the journey was 18-20 hours long, it was a good time to watch movies. ?? I'm a fan of Hollywood movies, (especially Hindi dubbed ones). I saw a new movie 'ATLAS' which is based on AI. ?? The movie is set in the future where AI has become very advanced. It follows the story of Atlas Shepherd, played by Jennifer Lopez, who must use an AI-powered exo-suit to save humanity from a rogue AI.

?? The movie was so amazing that I couldn't resist talking about it. It got me thinking about how these movies show technologies and AI being used or going to be used in the future, and how they might impact our lives. ?? I decided to do some research on this.

Let's see what I found out about the technologies shown in 'ATLAS' and how they compare to what's happening in the real world today:

1. AI-powered exo-suits: ??

Shown in movie: Characters wear advanced robotic suits with AI assistance for combat and exploration.

Current status: Companies like Ekso Bionics and ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton are developing powered exoskeletons for medical rehabilitation and industrial use. Ekso Bionics' EksoNR is FDA-cleared for stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

Future impact: Japanese company CYBERDYNE INC. HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) suit is being tested for use in daily life, potentially allowing people with mobility impairments to perform everyday tasks independently.

2. Neural interfaces: ????

Shown in movie: People mentally control their exo-suits using brain connections.

Current status: Neuralink has begun human trials of its brain-computer interface, while Synchron Stentrode device has already been implanted in multiple patients for controlling digital devices.

Future impact: Kernel non-invasive Flux helmet, which measures brain activity, could lead to more accessible brain-computer interfaces for a wider range of applications beyond medical use.

3. Advanced AI systems: ????

Shown in movie: An AI called Harlan becomes a threat to humanity, while other AIs assist humans.

Current status: OpenAI GPT-4 and 谷歌 PaLM 2 demonstrate advanced language understanding and generation capabilities.

Future impact: Google DeepMind AlphaFold AI, which can predict protein structures, may revolutionize drug discovery and personalized medicine.

4. Augmented reality (AR): ????

Shown in movie: Likely used in exo-suit displays to show information about the environment.

Current status: 微软 HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap 2 are being used in industrial and medical settings for hands-free information display and remote assistance.

Future impact: 苹果 upcoming Vision Pro headset could mainstream AR for everyday consumers, potentially changing how we interact with digital information in our daily lives.

5. Advanced robotics: ????

Shown in movie: Highly capable robots and AI-controlled machines are common.

Current status: Boston Dynamics Spot and Atlas robots demonstrate advanced mobility and dexterity in various environments.

Future impact: 亚马逊 Astro home robot points to a future where personal robots could become commonplace for home security and assistance.

6. Cognitive links: ????

Shown in movie: Atlas forms a mental connection with her suit's AI for better performance.

Current status: CTRL-labs (acquired by Meta ) is developing non-invasive neural interface technology for controlling devices with thought.

Future impact: Neurable EEG headbands aim to enable thought-based control of various devices, potentially changing how we interact with technology in everyday life.

7. Futuristic transportation: ????

Shown in movie: Advanced vehicles, likely including space transport.

Current status: Tesla Full Self-Driving beta and Waymo autonomous taxis are advancing vehicle autonomy.

Future impact: Companies like Joby Aviation and Lilium are developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which could revolutionize urban transportation.

8. Space travel technology: ????

Shown in movie: Characters can travel to other planets easily.

Current status: SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn are pushing the boundaries of reusable rocket technology.

Future impact: NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Artemis program, in collaboration with private companies, aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, paving the way for future Mars missions.

9. AI personalities: ????

Shown in movie: AIs like Smith and Harlan have distinct personalities and emotions.

Current status: Replika offers AI companions with distinct personalities for emotional support and conversation.

Future impact: Anthropic Constitutional AI approach could lead to more ethically-aligned AI assistants, potentially changing how we interact with AI in personal and professional settings.

10. Brain data extraction: ????

Shown in movie: Technology can extract information directly from people's brains.

Current status: Researchers at UCSF Fresno UC San Francisco have developed an AI system that can translate brain activity into text, though it's still limited in scope.

Future impact: Elon Musk's Neuralink aims to develop high-bandwidth brain-machine interfaces that could potentially allow direct brain-to-device communication, raising both exciting possibilities and ethical concerns.

To know more about these fascinating technologies, watch the movie 'ATLAS' here: https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81012048?s=a&trkid=13747225&trg=cp&vlang=en&clip=81763813