Computer reliability is prominent in Real Steel. Since the main plot revolves around humans controlling gigantic, high-tech robots, we can imagine the reliability of these robots is quite extreme. As mentioned earlier, the movie features many digital elements, such as humanoid robots with pre-programmed moves that can fight independently, showcasing the potential of AI in physical tasks. Robots like Atom even have a "shadow function" that mimics precise human movements in real-time. They also respond to voice inputs, representing advancements in NLP and voice recognition systems.
Atom and Zeus demonstrate pattern recognition, as they seem to learn from punches and adapt their strategies as time goes on. These robots endure significant physical damage and are frequently repaired, even on stage between rounds, as we see towards the end of the movie. They are extremely reliable, able to withstand strong steel punches from hydraulic, computerized arms. Their armor doesn’t break, and they sustain long, harsh fights. They don't explode, although we can hypothesize that their batteries and power are stored in some type of chemical energy like lithium, which is known to be highly explosive under stress. While the robots are tough, they do occasionally break down or malfunction during battles. This raises questions about their long-term reliability and the need for regular maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. We also note Atom still works after years of sitting in a trash heap.
Many of the robots are partially or fully autonomous, relying on pre-programmed algorithms or AI decision-making to fight. Reliable software is essential for these autonomous robots to prevent unintended behaviors, such as attacking the public. Faulty code or miscommunication between modules could result in combat errors or even safety hazards. Atom and Zeus can learn and adapt from previous fights, but how well can a system learn in unpredictable, dynamic environments? Can it be trusted to make decisions autonomously, and what safeguards should be in place to ensure the learning algorithm doesn't malfunction over time?
Real-time control of robots in a fast-paced competitive environment would also require extremely low-latency systems. Another important question is how the robot handles hybrid input from both the human and its self-correction in real-time. For example, in shadow mode, the robot mimics the human, but what if it knows how to avoid a punch better than the human? How do these decisions work?
Overall, this movie raises many unanswered questions about digital reliability, but we sense its crucial importance throughout, even though we understand the movie is aimed at a younger audience, and analyzing it further may push the movie’s intended scope.