Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, man has feared being replaced by machines. As technology develops, and artificial intelligence continues to evolve, man has become increasingly reliant on machines. But what happens when the line between man and machine becomes blurred?

Science-fiction has provided viewers with many anthropomorphic robots over the years that have resembled man. From Isaac Asimovs I Robot to Star Wars iconic C-3PO, man often envisioned a future in which robotic companions resembled their creators. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the android Data blurred the line between machines and humanity, making one wonder what the world would be like if technology could create machines that greatly resembled man.

But if Star Trek: The Next Generation blurred the line, the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica practically erased it. In that series, Cylons, a human creation, evolved over time to the point that it was impossible to differentiate between Cylons and people. The distinctions between man and machine were so subtle that a major plot line involved the revelation of five Cylons who were unknown to viewers, and even unknown to themselves. When they did find out the nature of their existence, their fundamental values and behaviors did not change much.

As science-fiction fans, we like to think that, as machines creators, we would naturally be better than they are. Call it human nature or a God Complex, but man simply cannot help but think that he retains superiority over his own creations. Thats what makes worlds like those presented in the Terminator and Matrix franchises so utterly terrifying. Man becomes a victim of his own creation.

Ironically, we tend to fear the machines that have come into power more than we fear the people who created them.

Unfortunately, that really isnt the most frightening aspect of these movies. What really is frightening is not when machines start resembling man, but when man starts resembling a machine. While we would like to think that the ultimate goal of any artificial intelligence system would be to be as similar to man as possible, mans actions seem to be heading more in the direction of machines.

Man has become so dependent on technology to make even the smallest of decisions. From using calculators to perform simple addition, to checking the weather reports on our cell phones to tell us if it is going to rain, technology exerts a great deal of influence in our daily lives. With our MP3 players, cell phones, GPS units and calculators, technology has become our best friend.

The sad truth is, while technology makes it easier to talk to someone halfway across the world, it has done a tremendous amount of damage to real life interpersonal communications. People choose to text message or use online chat instead of talking. Every time I see groups of teenagers, most of them are paying more attention to their cell phones than they are to the people they are with.

But its not just communications that have been affected. People sometimes trust technology more than they do their own common sense. A few weeks ago, I was at a local function and it was pouring down rain. The person in charge refused to cancel the event even though it was beginning to thunder, and lighting was soon to follow. He insisted that the radar on his phone showed no storms in the area, and that the storm probably wasnt going to last long because it wasnt supposed to be there in the first place.

I was astounded by the stupidity of the comment, but sadly, I wasnt surprised. For what its worth, I ignored his radar report and made my own rational, intelligent decision and chose to leave.

In the short-lived television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, various characters, particular John Connor and his mother Sarah, fought not only the machines, but their own inner struggles to hold on to their humanity. If a person loses his or her own humanity while trying to save it, have the humans really won anything?

If we continue to give over communication and decision making to machines because it is easier or more convenient, than man has made a cold, calculated decision. One might even say it is logical. Sounds a lot like the thought process a machine would follow, doesnt it?

Homework: I Robot by Isaac Asimov