History Trivia / IRobot

* ScienceMarchesOn: At the time the book was published, it was thought that humanlike articial intelligence could be built using mathematical logic, which involves reasoning over a set of rules and facts (hence the Three Laws of Robotics). This approach is known as symbolic artificial intelligence. Researchers eventually found that symbolic AI alone is not enough to build humanlike robots, which led to a rise in research in connectionist artificial intelligence (AI involving deep learning artificial neural networks)

!![[Literature/IRobot The book]] by Creator/IsaacAsimov:
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's book #002.
* {{Defictionalization}}: U.S. Robotics, a company that manufactures dialup modems, took its name from the fictional U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men corporation featured in I, Robot, though the company has never manufactured robots itself.
* PublisherChosenTitle: This title copied an earlier ICommaNoun story by Earl and Otto Binder, which was part of the ''Literature/AdamLink'' series. Not a single story in this collection is told from the perspective of a robot. Even better, [[WordOfGod Dr Asimov]] is reported to have detested the title, which was forced on him [[ExecutiveMeddling by the editors]].
* ReferencedBy:
** "Literature/ImpossibleDreams": A Tim Pratt short story where the protagonist discovers a video store from an alternate timeline, which includes the filmed version of Creator/HarlanEllison's [[Script/IRobotTheIllustratedScreenplay script]]. It won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
** iRobot (the makers of the Roomba) chose their name back in the mid 90s, encouraging the IProduct trope. The name is a reference to this work because Dr Asimov is more famous than the ''Literature/AdamLink'' story it took the name from.
** ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Roy (as a spirit in the AfterlifeAntechamber) is given copies of ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'', ''Literature/IRobot'', ''TabletopGame/PrometheanTheCreated'' and ''Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Your Dead Body Being Used To Make A Bone Golem (But Were Afraid To Ask)'' by his father to "help [him] come to terms with the bad news".
** ''Comicbook/MagnusRobotFighter'': One of the reboots focuses on a female Magnus who works as a diplomat/robopsychologist and deals with [=AIs=] mainly in [[InsideAComputerSystem cyberspace.]]
** ''Fanfic/BeingHumanAPortalFanfic'': Doctor Susan Calvin makes a {{Cameo}} appearance at the end of a chapter.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The episode "I, Roomate" involves Bender, a robot, becoming the main character's roommate.
** ''Literature/RexNihilo'': One volume is titled ''Aye, Robot'', which sounds like this novel.
** ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'': [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/1287.html #1287]], where Salacious Crumb picks out C-3PO's eye, is titled "Eye, Robot".
** ''Videogame/TheSims'': When randomizing a new Plumbot's name, suggestions include "I, PLumbot".
** ''Literature/VoidDomain'': A background teacher, Isaac Calvin, is named based on the author Creator/IsaacAsimov and his character Dr Susan Calvin.
** ''VideoGame/WeHappyRestaurant'': The room of the Accountant includes a poster with the text "Me, Robot".
** ''WebVideo/TheDomReviews'': When reviewing ''Film/IRobot'', he compares it to [[Literature/IRobot the original book]].
* TheWikiRule: [[http://irobot.wikia.com/wiki/I,_Robot_Wiki The I, Robot Wiki]].
* WorkingTitle: Dr Asimov submitted this book under the name ''Mind and Iron'', but publisher Creator/GnomePress changed the title to imitate the first story in the ''Literature/AdamLink'' series.

* ChannelHop: The project was first acquired by Walt Disney Pictures for Creator/BryanSinger to direct.

* WorkingTitle: ''Mind and Iron''

* DolledUpInstallment: The film was initially based on an unrelated screenplay, ''Hardwired'', before being given the title and some surface features of the short story collection by Creator/IsaacAsimov. Granted, the dolling-up process did incorporate something like a Hollywoodized version of Asimov's Three Laws, and the final plot somewhat resembles a mish-mash of Asimov's "The Evitable Conflict" and The Caves of Steel. Still a painfully awkward fit with Asimov's stories, though, and nothing excuses making Susan Calvin into a hot young sidekick. (Contrary to what some have said, the film bears even less resemblance to Eando Binder's "I, Robot" than Asimov's story collection, except in the basic "robot kills someone" sense.)
* ExecutiveMeddling: Creator/AlexProyas had a difficult time with 20th Century Fox studio head Tom Rothman, who was threatening to remove the film's ending and replace it with "more jokes" just days before the film's premiere. Proyas intended to write a book about his experience making the film, which he describes as trying to run a marathon with the studio constantly throwing chairs in his path, but friends warned him that he'd never work in Hollywood again. Even without the tell-all, I, Robot was his last studio film.
* WagTheDirector: When Creator/WillSmith walked into his first meeting, the first thing he said was, "I have to save the world in every movie I make." Everyone present who cherished the complexity of the script felt their hearts sink in their chest.... At the movie's premiere, when the lights came up, Smith's little son turned to him and said, "Dad, you gotta stop saving the world in every movie you make!"

** Creator/WillSmith was asked to pen and perform a hip-hop song for the film, as he did for ''Film/MenInBlack'' and ''Film/WildWildWest''. After giving it some thought, Smith decided against it, saying the song "I, Robot" which featured lyrics about the "robots comin' " to take over, would take away the serious edge from the film. If it was actually made, there would have been a scene of Will/Spooner and Sonny having a dance fight.

** The early Jeff Vintar drafts feature a Del Spooner who is truly suffering from technophobia. His uncontrollable shaking hand was, for many people, the key image of the story. This version of the script featured sequences in which Spooner would be chased and attacked by robots on the street, only to wake up in a hospital, told that he was suffering from a panic attack - a danger to himself and others - and the robots had no choice but to subdue him for his own safety. In this way, the audience was never sure if Spooner was onto something, or if his mental state was truly disintegrating. Likewise, the ending of the original script revealed the killer to be Hector, a supercomputer with a yellow smiley face, who committed the murder and wanted Sonny to take the fall in order to save the future of Mankind. Thus when Spooner lets Sonny go free at the end, though this may be the right thing to do, Spooner knows he may in fact be condemning the human race to extinction. His hand still trembles and his robophobia is worse than ever. Such complex story elements were not allowed to remain after Will Smith signed on because, to Twentieth Century Fox's way of thinking, Will Smith always had to be right and, in the end, he had to clearly and simply save the world. Thus some of the best scenes in the script were removed and replaced with action beats. Instead of letting Sonny the robot go and hiding his still-trembling hand, in the finished film Spooner just smiles big and winks.

* ActorInspiredElement: The decision to use Music/StevieWonder's "Superstition" as Del's wake-up music came when director Alex Proyas heard Creator/WillSmith rocking out to it in his trailer.

* Creator/{{Hipgnosis}}: Did the cover art in collaboration with George Hardie, who drew the robot.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HarlanEllison wrote a screenplay in TheSeventies (it's still in print!) which was much closer to Asimov's anthology. Unfortunately, the plot (which looked back on Susan Calvin's life in a manner deliberately similar to ''Film/CitizenKane'') and the FX-heavy scenes (which included a lost city in the Amazon, several alien planets, and a duel in what would later be called {{cyberspace}}) [[ExecutiveMeddling didn't fit the producer's vision and/or budget]], so it was shelved. Oddly enough, some [=DVD=]s of the 2004 film came bundled with a copy.

** Creator/WillSmith was asked to pen and perform a hip-hop song for the film, as he did for ''Film/MenInBlack'' and ''Film/WildWildWest''. After giving it some thought, Smith decided against it, saying the song "I, Robot" which featured lyrics about the "robots comin' " to take over, would take away the serious edge from the film. There would have also been a scene of Will/Spooner and Sonny having a dance fight.

** Creator/WillSmith was asked to pen and perform a hip-hop song for the film, as he did for ''Film/MenInBlack'' and ''Film/WildWildWest''. After giving it some thought, Smith decided against it, saying the song "I, Robot" which featured lyrics about the "robots comin' " to take over, would take away the serious edge from the film. There would have also included a scene of Will/Spooner and Sonny having a dance fight.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Creator/WillSmith is Spooner.
** [[Film/StarTrekFirstContact Zephram Cochrane]] (aka JamesCromwell, aka king of all "That Guy"s) is Dr. Lanning.
** Creator/ShiaLaBeouf is bad at cussing.
** Sonny is voiced by none other than by Alan Tudyk
** BruceGreenwood is the RedHerring villain.
** Spooner's boss is [[Film/UndercoverBrother Da Chief]] once again.

** ShiaLaBeouf is bad at cussing.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HarlanEllison wrote a screenplay in TheSeventies (it's still in print!) which was much closer to Asimov's anthology. Unfortunately, the plot (which looked back on Susan Calvin's life in a manner deliberately similar to ''Film/CitizenKane'') and the FX-heavy scenes (which included a lost city in the Amazon and a duel in what would later be called {{cyberspace}}) [[ExecutiveMeddling didn't fit the producer's vision and/or budget]], so it was shelved. Oddly enough, some [=DVD=]s of the 2004 film came bundled with a copy.

!!The film:

** WillSmith is Spooner.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HarlanEllison wrote a screenplay in TheSeventies (it's still in print!) which was much closer to Asimov's anthology. Unfortunately, the plot (which looked back on Susan Calvin's life in a manner deliberately similar to Film/CitizenKane) and the FX-heavy scenes (which included a lost city in the Amazon and a duel in what would later be called {{cyberspace}}) [[ExecutiveMeddling didn't fit the producer's vision and/or budget]], so it was shelved. Oddly enough, some [=DVD=]s of the 2004 film came bundled with a copy.


!!The Asimov book:

** [[Film/StarTrekFirstContact Cochrane]] is Dr. Lanning.

** James Cromwell, king of all "That Guy"s, as Lanning.

** Spooner's boss is [[UndercoverBrother Da Chief]] once again.

** ShiaLaBeouf makes an appearance.

** [[StarTrekFirstContact Cochrane]] is Dr. Lanning.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[StarTrekFirstContact Zefram Cochrane]] as Dr. Lanning. The basketball kid from the beginning is [[TransformersFilmSeries Sam Witwicky]].
** Plus Sonny is [[{{Firefly}} Wash!]]
* And [[Film/StarTrek Captain Pike]] is the RedHerring Villain!
* And Spooner's boss is [[UndercoverBrother Da Chief]] once again!