From Terminator to today: what AI teaches us about purpose

6 Feb

With the rise of AI, our director Patrick Steen reflects on what it means for humanity, our strive for purpose and how organisations should think about it going forward.

Let me take you back to 2007. I was a student studying Philosophy with Film Studies. It’s a degree I still get questions about today - the first simply being, ‘why?’ It’s not something I feel the need to defend as it was an essential part of shaping the way I think about the world, and how I form compelling arguments about the type of world I want to live in.

In my final year, I combined my two disciplines to write a dissertation on the philosophical arguments made in The Terminator trilogy. This wasn’t just a study of time-travel paradoxes - I dove into the deeper questions the films posed about technology, artificial intelligence, humanity, and our future.

At the time, this was an exploration of science-fiction and hypothetical arguments. Today, they serve as a very real lesson on what our near future might hold.

These days, I’m far from the lecture halls of Nottingham uni. I work with businesses to further their campaigning on social purpose issues. I also support and train organisations on ethically making use of Generative AI tools.

So this is somewhat a full circle moment. Because the themes I explored in my dissertation - AI, control, humanity and the strive for purpose - keep cropping up. For some of us, it might feel like Skynet is right around the corner. That’s a bit melodramatic for me, but the risks and rewards of AI are real, and they demand the same reflection those films were warning us about decades ago.

**What The Terminator got right**

Freindly woman and metal robot representing AI staring at each other — “The seeds for our downfall are sown in the now, not because technology is inherently evil, but that our reliance on it is vulnerable since technology can falter or be exploited.”

*Patrick Steen*

I wrote those words about The Terminator, but they could just as easily describe today’s discussions about AI. AI-generated deepfakes, bias algorithms, automation replacing jobs… The films argued the issue wasn’t the technology itself, but how humanity chose to use it. It feels like we’re at a similar crossroads, and our trust is being placed in the tech companies and their leaders. This is why it’s so important for governments to catch up and get regulations in order.

However, it was another theme from the trilogy and my writing that has stuck with me. In a world of machines, Sarah Connor’s fight wasn’t just about surviving; it was about rediscovering what it means to be human. I wrote:

“If we realise what makes us human in a rational world, we can learn the value of human life and have a say in our fate.”

— Patrick Steen

That feels even more relevant today. AI can process data faster than we ever could, but it doesn’t have empathy, true spontaneous creativity, or the ability to connect with fellow humans. If AI starts coming for our jobs, we should in turn start looking at what gives us meaning and purpose.

Lessons for AI and business

So, how does all of this tie into what I do today? Businesses are racing to adopt AI for efficiency and productivity - and fair enough, those are important. But this could also put them in danger of becoming as mechanical as the machines they deploy if they lose sight of their purpose.

For me, it’s clear that as AI continues to rise, having a strong social purpose is going to become even more important. It’s what makes people want to work for a company, buy from it, and trust it. Without purpose, a business risks becoming just another cog in the AI-driven machine. And let’s face it - nobody wants to work for Skynet.

The companies getting it right are the ones asking the big questions: How can we use AI ethically? How can we use technology to leave the world in a better place than we found it? How do we make sure AI doesn’t replace what makes us human? Whether it’s designing inclusive AI systems or tackling climate change, purpose is what will set businesses apart.

The power of purpose

The Terminator trilogy had an optimistic streak buried beneath the chaos: that humans aren’t powerless in the face of technology. Sarah Connor’s transformation from someone with no direction to a fierce, purposeful fighter is a reminder that purpose gives us strength. And that’s true for people, companies, and society as a whole.

Finding your purpose, whether personally or as a company, is what keeps us connected, grounded, and human. I have no fear of deploying AI in my life or work. But I have lately been rediscovering what makes me human - playing the piano, signing, meeting with friends… watching sci-fi at the cinema.

Businesses should take the opportunity to look at what their purpose is, and how they can make sure that each employee can find their purpose too. When they do, they will inspire trust and loyalty from their people and their customers. And as we navigate an AI-powered future, that’s going to matter more than ever.

So, looking back at what I wrote in 2007, one thing’s clear: whether it’s fighting a killer robot or building a socially responsible company, the challenge is the same. We need to reclaim what makes us human. Because if a machine like the Terminator can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too.