- Thinking Machines were machines based on a highly advanced Artificial Intelligence model that turned against humans as mentioned in Dune Prophecy.
- When humanity was threatened with extinction by Omnius, the AI, all houses banded together to launch a crusade against the machines and this was called the Machine War.
- The Machine War lasted for 93 years and is also known as The Butlerian Jihad in the Dune novels.
The first episode of Dune Prophecy is now live and has begun the tale of this massive political and fantastical tale. This series focuses on the formation of the Bene Gesserit or the Sisterhood. In the very opening sequence of the series, we get to see how the formation of this cult-like organization was rooted in The Machine War fought by humanity against The Thinking Machines. Now since the series did not tell us much about the war and these machines, here find out all you need to know about The Machine War and The Thinking Machines in Dune Prophecy!
What Are the Thinking Machines in Dune Prophecy?
As mentioned for the first time in Dune: Prophecy, the Thinking Machines are the equivalent of AI-powered machines in the Dune Universe. However, this Artificial Intelligence is way more sophisticated than what we have now. In Dune novels, Frank Herbert has taken inspiration from the rising concern of AI taking over humanity and used it as one of the foundations for the worldbuilding of Dune. In his novels, he has stated-
“Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”
Dune: Prophecy is the first time this event has been mentioned in live-action. However, even in the novels, the Machine War has not been talked about in much detail and we only get information about it here and there as the story in the books progresses.
When Did the Machine War Take Place In Dune?
The Machine War is also known as the Butlerian Jihad in the Dune novels and started in 201 BG (Before Guild) and lasted till 108 BG, spanning 93 years. In the broader Dune Universe, the Machine War took place almost 100 years before Dune: Prophecy, and in the context of Paul Atreides, this war took place 10,100 years before he was born. Now since the machines were defeated, there was a massive hole in the functioning of human society to be filled up after all Artificial Intelligence was banned. This gave rise to multiple organizations in the Dune Universe, Bene Gesserit being one of them.
Why Did The Dune Prophecy Machine War Happen?
The Machine War took place in the Dune Universe when Artificial Intelligence started getting too advanced for humans to control and started plotting to take over humanity, by eradicating all humans. In Dune novels, the AI entity that powered all machines was called Omnius. It along with its assistant Erasmus an independent android, started plotting to eradicate all humans and replace everything with machine control.
Fearing the threat of extinction, all the houses we see in Dune, united and launched a desperate crusade to save humanity from becoming slaves. The war known as The Butlerian Jihad lasted for 93 years. After humans stood victorious, a ban was implemented galaxy-wide that strictly prohibited the use of any machine that could think like humans.
So, with that, here is all the information you need about The Machine War and The Thinking Machines in Dune Prophecy. If you want to know something else regarding the Dune Universe let us know in the comments and stay tuned for further updates on Dune Prophecy!
