Wargames (1983)
In the 1983 movie Wargames, a young computer whiz kid (played by Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a U.S. military supercomputer programmed to predict possible outcomes of nuclear war. Thinking he's found a backdoor into a computer game company, he starts playing what he thinks is a game called Global Thermonuclear War. The computer, however, interprets his actions as a real threat and begins to simulate a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. The situation escalates quickly, leading to a tense standoff between the U.S. and the USSR, with the computer relentlessly pursuing its mission to win the war game. The film explores themes of technology, warfare, and the potential consequences of relying too heavily on computers for critical decisions.
The W.O.P.R (War Operation Plan Response) is the supercomputer at the center of the film's plot. It is designed to simulate and predict the outcomes of nuclear war scenarios, but its capabilities raise ethical questions about the role of AI in warfare and decision-making. When it tries to engage in a game of Global Thermonuclear War with a human player, the consequences become dire, highlighting the potential dangers of AI systems operating without human oversight.
The two clips below show the escalating tension as the computer, W.O.P.R., simulates a nuclear attack and the efforts to stop it. The first clip shows the computer's relentless pursuit of victory in the war game by generating launch codes, while the second clip features a conversation between Dr. Stephen Falken (the computer's creator) and the military officials trying to understand and control the situation by convincing the computer that "the only winning move is not to play."
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Wargames (1983)
'Joshua' is the name of the supercomputer in the 1983 film "WarGames," which was later referenced in various contexts, including a 2025 remake of the movie. In the original film, Joshua is a military computer designed to simulate and predict outcomes of nuclear war scenarios. The computer becomes central to the plot when a young hacker inadvertently accesses it, leading to a series of events that highlight the dangers of relying too heavily on technology for critical decisions. The name "Joshua" was chosen by the computer's creator, Dr. Stephen Falken, as a tribute to his deceased son.