History Main / AIGettingHigh

** Subverted with Bender's [[CigarChomper cigar-smoking]], which he admits he does because [[SmokingIsCool "it looks cool"]], not because nicotine has any effect. In a non-canon episode where [[HumanityEnsues Bender becomes human]], he's smokes (amongst other things) with a lot more enthusiasm once it actually gets him high.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Robots get high from electricity; this becomes a problem in "[[Recap/FuturamaS1E9HellIsOtherRobots Hell Is Other Robots]]" when Bender tries it out for popularity and becomes an electricity junkie. They also use alcohol as fuel (although there are mentions of non-alcoholic alternatives), but ironically act drunk when sober. Bender, at least, is also a cigar smoker, although there's no sign that it has any effect on him. (He admits to only do it because [[SmokingIsCool it looks cool]].) Magnets [[LossOfInhibitions screw up Bender's "inhibition unit"]], which causes him to [[InvoluntaryDance sing and dance uncontrollably]].

* ''VideoGame/Portal2'': The Aperture Science testing chambers give the A.I. controlling them a [[FantasticArousal burst of pleasure]] whenever a subject completes a test chamber. It's apparently highly addictive.

Believe it or not, this is actually a concern amongst real life AI researchers, in the form of a phenomenon known as "wireheading". Sometimes, when an AI is programmed to maximize a certain factor in the interest of achieving a goal, it will find a very efficient way to maximize said factor without actually doing anything to accomplish the goal. (A brief overview of this subject can be [[https://getpocket.com/explore/item/drugs-robots-and-the-pursuit-of-pleasure-why-experts-are-worried-about-ais-becoming-addicts?utm_source=pocket-newtab found here.]])

'''Omega:''' ''Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiit.''

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16635981950.46777800
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robots_hi.png]]]]

->'''Rouge''': Here, you want some weed?\\
'''Omega''': I do not have lungs, so I cannot smoke weed, but I will take it anyway and put it directly into my braincells. Here we go.\\
'''Omega's Interface''': ''Downloading "Weed.exe."''\\
'''Omega''': ''Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiit.''

Sister trope to AlienCatnip. For other tropes about things going wrong with AI, see AIIsACrapshoot, GlitchEpisode, and MurderousMalfunctioningMachine. Also see EatingMachine, for robots and AIs consuming things considerably less psychoactive.

* Just about everyone in ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'' is on drugs, and the computers are no exception. In fact, Spider Jerusalem's trademark CoolShades were created by a fabricator AI that was stoned out of its mind on machine drugs at the time.

-->'''Omega:''' '''H[-OLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT-]''' ''[inhales]'' '''W[-OW-].'''\\

'''Omega:''' '''W[-HAT PLANET AM I ON-]? W[-HAT-]'[-S TODAY-]? M[-Y BRAIN CELL-]: [-DESTROYED-]. M[-Y WIG IS GONE-]!'''

[[folder:Film -- Animation ]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'', number 8 (a.k.a. TheBigGuy) puts his magnet close to his head in order to enter a state of bliss.

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* {{Implied}} in the Franchise/{{Tron}} franchise, with establishments like the [[Film/TronLegacy End of Line]] club, the Internet hub's [[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Progress Bar]], and the unnamed club seen frequently in WesternAnimation/TronUprising where Programs are seen drinking and relaxing like humans would in a nightclub. A DummiedOut part of VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh even had Jet questioning an ''extremely'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N-Ajbf7r0w intoxicated Program.]]
[[/folder]]

* In one of the ''Literature/CaptainFuture'' novels by Creator/EdmondHamilton, Otho the android (might not be a quite straight example. He's apparently made of artificial flesh) drains a bottle of GargleBlaster to no visible effect while undercover...and then asks for wine with radium chloride. This time, the radiation does get him intoxicated.

* OWEN of ''Literature/TheMunicipalists'' is an experimental supercomputer A.I. that coordinates the day-to-day operations of the [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction United States Municipal Survey]]... and a prolific day-drinker. OWEN wrote himself a program that generates [[LogicBomb complex math problems]] that divert his processing power away from "boring stuff" like social inhibitions after watching his creator binge drinking during all-night programming sessions. When [=OWEN=] activates the program, he pairs it with an animation of his holographically generated avatar sipping whiskey from a finely rendered cut-crystal tumbler (and later, directly out of a bottle of ominously black liquid labeled "190^10 Proof").
* At the end of ''[[Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted,]]'' the victory party has everyone drinking, except for the resident AI, who has a robot pour some electrolyte into a dry battery. It starts slurring words very quickly.

* ''Series/RedDwarf''

* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': Janets are susceptible to magnets, which acts as both a PowerLimiter, and will cause them to act as though they're intoxicated. Janet, under the effects of powerful magnetic handcuffs, acted as though she was very drunk, and there are allusions to magnets being an equivalent to alcohol where Janet is concerned.

* ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'': "Narcoalgorithms" are programs that simulate drugs for synthmorphs and infomorphs, which can be AIs or uploaded humans. There's narcoalgorithm equivalents to [[HighTimesFuture all of the assorted designer drugs in the rulebook]] as well as a couple unique ones: DDR ("Dance Dance Robot") causes synths to jerk and twitch around randomly and makes movement pleasurable (it was originally a virus), while Linkstate causes users to share random memories with one another.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': {{Discussed}} when Legion [[HumansThroughAlienEyes admits to not understanding why organics use drugs]]. The closest analogy he can think of with the geth is overclocking their processors for a temporary power boost, but even then the only reason the geth do this is because they can [[BrainUploading safely upload themselves to a new platform]] if the process damages the one they're on. It baffles him that organics would intentionally burn out the only body and mind they have, and, when you put it that way, [[AnAesop it's not hard to agree with him]].

** While not exactly getting high, AIs can have extremely vivid hallucination-like audiovisual experiences from how their sensors process aromatic teas. Bubbles is occasionally shown in Coffee of Doom sampling various teas to see how they affect her.
** Later on several AIs are shown using "drunk apps" that come in "free" versions that stop at somewhat tipsy and "pro" versions that can get them raging drunk.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'', set in a planet in the middle of terraforming, a greedy executive arranges for the release of a safeguards program that intentionally reduces robot consciousness and utility to bottom levels. While the heroes succeed in blocking widespread release, Dvorak, the colony's most infamous robot MadScientist considers reverse engineering the program to create a temporary, scaled-back version to get robots "drunk".

[[folder:Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/StarWarsDownunder''. The android Bluey drinks so much in the post-battle piss-up his head falls off.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Robots get high from electricity; this becomes a problem in "[[Recap/FuturamaS1E9HellIsOtherRobots Hell is Other Robots]]" when Bender tries it out for popularity and becomes an electricity junkie. They also use alcohol as fuel (although there are mentions of non-alcoholic alternatives), but ironically act drunk when sober. Bender, at least, is also a cigar smoker, although there's no sign that it has any effect on him. (He admits to only do it because [[SmokingIsCool it looks cool]].) Magnets [[LossOfInhibitions screw up Bender's "inhibition unit"]], which causes him to [[InvoluntaryDance sing and dance uncontrollably]].

* Believe it or not, this is actually a concern amongst real life AI researchers, in the form of a phenomenon known as "wireheading". Sometimes, when an AI is programmed to maximize a certain factor in the interest of achieving a goal, it will find a very efficient way to maximize said factor without actually doing anything to accomplish the goal. For example, one AI was programmed to learn to play a racing game as effectively as possible, and finish each track with the maximum amount of points. As points could also be gained by picking up collectible items as well as by finishing quickly, it found a method to loop its vehicle infinitely around the track, picking up the respawning items and getting a continuous "high" without ever actually finishing the race like it was intended to do. A brief overview of this subject can be [[https://getpocket.com/explore/item/drugs-robots-and-the-pursuit-of-pleasure-why-experts-are-worried-about-ais-becoming-addicts?utm_source=pocket-newtab found here.]]