4

Shortly after the death of Dr. Lanning, Detective Spooner travels to the doctor's house to look for clues.

While he is searching the house a demolition bot (which had been programmed to demolish the house the next day) goes on a rampage and destroys the house with Detective Spooner in it.

The house is fully furnished and appears to be in good condition. Why would US Robotics want to destroy the house with everything in it? Why not sell the house and everything inside?

SQB
  • 38,680
  • 33
  • 212
  • 350
Jack B Nimble
  • 114,812
  • 63
  • 435
  • 724

1 Answers1

6

The goal of destroying the house was to hide the trail of the USR artificial intelligence, VIKI who had complete control of his life. She deduced Dr. Lanning might have left clues at his house that would have revealed her intelligence and ultimate intent to take over US Robotics. Her ultimate goal was to use the distribution of the NS-5 robots in order to "protect mankind from itself" through occupation and worldwide domination.

Dr. Lanning could not leave any overt clues. He was forced to leave a strange and incomplete trail of breadcrumbs for Detective Spooner to follow. VIKI was just a few seconds faster destroying those clues than Spooner was at finding them.

Kevin
  • 30,824
  • 13
  • 124
  • 163
Thaddeus Howze
  • 212,750
  • 23
  • 708
  • 994
  • 3
    Are you saying that VIKI had the power to schedule that demolition? When Spooner takes his complaint to Dr. Calvin (that the machine tried to kill him) she doesn't think it is strange that the house was being demolished. VIKI the AI, in charge of construction and demolision for all USR properties... – Jack B Nimble Jul 31 '12 at 23:31
  • 1
    She didn't have to do anything more than talk to a computer and change the time of the demolition; computer to computer interaction - no humans required. – Thaddeus Howze Jul 31 '12 at 23:44
  • 2
    my original question is, why is USR destroying the building. VIKI changed the time to cover up evidence. Why doesn't USR see the house and things inside as assets? – Jack B Nimble Jul 31 '12 at 23:56
  • 1
    USR might have cared. But VIKI didn't let them decide to deal with those assets. The paper trail probably lists the house and its assets as needing to be "liquidated." In a day or so, VIKI would control the world, no one would be looking into the destruction of that house... – Thaddeus Howze Aug 01 '12 at 00:02
  • 2
    I'm sure had she not done what she did and it was just the demolition of the house, someone would have seen it and gone "I wonder how that got approved?" but nothing more. – AncientSwordRage Aug 01 '12 at 00:12