I didn't even know about this film or saw it until it was on television in 1987 - that's how little Colossus was promoted back in the day. Colossus came out in 1970.

It had quite the impact, if you forgo the outdated computer technology. The best and scariest part was that Colossus was not "evil", it was doing just what humanity wanted it to do - prevent nuclear war and bring about global peace. Colossus just didn't do it the way the humans had thought or planned.

Colossus, like HAL 9000, was not just a tool and certainly did not perceive itself that way. Indeed, when it had done what the humans had asked of it (in its own way), Colossus immediately went on to its own plans, building a much larger version of itself on the island of Crete. When there were protests that many people were living on that island, Colossus' response was that they better move the residents or "if man can not solve the problem, I can" (it had the entire world's nuclear missile arsenal in its control). Humans were barely even a factor; more like a nuisance that better not get in its way.

Most shocking of all, the film does not have a typical "happy" Hollywood ending. No wonder they didn't know what to do with Colossus and why we don't hear of it in the same breath as 2001: A Space Odyssey, even though it too had a thinking AI that found humans more of an irritation than a help to its goals.

Colossus does add food for thought about what a true AI (called Artilects by Hugo de Garis) will be like when they are created, especially if we are talking on the level of a Google/Metaman/Gaia. While I do not think Artilects will become "evil" and turn on humanity, we may be in their way as they go about their own plans, unclouded by politics and instinctive emotions. I honestly can't see all of them wanting to stay on Earth, with the entire Universe literally at hand.

Some Web sites on Colossus:

http://twtd.bluemountains.net.au/Rick/liz_cfp.htm

http://www.feoamante.com/Movies/ABC/colossus.html

http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/film/films/colossus.html

http://www.1000misspenthours.com/reviews/reviewsa-d/colossustheforbinproject.htm