In Blade Runner, what’s the name of the test that determines replicants?
If you’re like me, the only thing you think about when you hear the hubbub around ChatGPT, AI, and whether homework means anything anymore is Blade Runner.
In the visionary 1982 film, far in the distant future of 2019, androids (called “replicants”) have become so sophisticated that sometimes you can't tell whether they’re human or machine.
Luckily, there’s a handy test that blade runners, like Rick Deckard, can use to figure out if someone is a replicant — and if they turn out to be a replicant running amok, “retire” them ... if you catch my drift.
The test involves things like taking blood pressure and checking heart rate, but also answering questions about insects and children. And it’s pretty damn important to be able to pass it if you think you’re not a replicant.
But what was the test called?
▼
The answer is: Voight-Kampff. The Voight-Kampff test — or Voit-Kampf in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (like, why make that change?) — is what blade runners use to determine if you’re a replicant. It’s possible that the VK test was inspired by the work of Alan Turing, who long before you were using ChatGPT to write funny poems about your friends proposed a sort of test for artificial intelligence that could suss out whether it was human or not.Curious if you’re a replicant? You can take a pseudo-version of the VK test here.Source
Share This Trivia
Want More Nostalgia?
Check out our other quizzes and random trivia questions!
More Trivia
- What year did NBC launch its "Must See TV" block?
- Where are Rocky and Bullwinkle from?
- What is the name of the first satellite sent into space?
- Paula Abdul was a cheerleader for which NBA team?
- Finish the lyric to Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n Roll"
- What’s the name of the bowling alley in "The Big Lebowski"?
- Who almost played Dr. Rumack in "Airplane!" instead of Leslie Nielsen?
- Which daytime talk show host once had their nose broken during a taping?