I drew this cartoon in May 2026. It is, of course, a reflection of the hype (and paranoia) surrounding generative AI in our day. On the surface, this cartoon reflects the fear that AI will result in mass unemployment. On another level, however, it is a commentary on the closing gap between real-life and fictional AI.
The protocol droid C3PO from Star Wars is a marvel of fictional AI: he walks, talks, expresses fear, and is conversant in six million forms of communication. Yet, as the gap between fictional AI and real AI diminishes, so does our sense of wonder at fictional AIs such as C3PO, HAL, and Data. Accordingly, this cartoon explores the question: Will today's real AI systems reduce our collective appetite for, or even tolerance of, fictional AI in popular entertainment? Only time will tell.