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AUTO: All communications are terminated. You are confined to quarters. Captain B. McCrea: NO! MUTINY!! MUTINY!!!
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~ AUTO reveals its true nature and rise to power as it locks Captain B. McCrea in his room after tasing WALL•E and sending both him and EVE down to the dump.
“
Captain B. McCrea: AUTO, YOU ARE RELIEVED OF DUTY! Auto: NO…
AUTOPILOT, better known as AUTO for short, is the main antagonist of Pixar's 9th full-length animated feature film, WALL•E, and its short film, BURN•E.
AUTO is an AI system and co-pilot of the space station known as the Axiom. Throughout the length of the film, AUTO’s main goal appears to be to prevent the Axiom and the countless humans that live on it from returning to Earth, which has been almost completely overrun by trash and pollution.
Because of this, it initially seems to be a benevolent character, working to ensure humanity’s survival. But then, things begin to change when AUTO turns on its captain who disobeys an outdated order to avoid going back to Earth. Seeing this violation of company policy as a threat to its position, AUTO decides to stop WALL-E and EVE from returning a plant to the holo-detector, even at the potential expense of WALL-E’s life, and the passenger’s safety.
It was voiced by using Apple's voice synthesis technology known as MacinTalk, mainly with the Ralph and Zarvox voices.
AUTO is initially depicted as an emotionless and firm, but fair caretaker of the Axiom, who genuinely does have humanity's best interests at heart. However, AUTO is eventually revealed to be a desperate and temperamental control freak due to having secret orders (A113)[1] to keep humanity away from Earth.
Being unable to defy its programming, its villainous breakdown involves desperately trying to prevent EVE, WALL-E and the Captain from switching it off and plotting a course back to Earth. Rather concerningly, AUTO does this in spite of evidence that Earth can support life as it’s been nearly 700 years since humanity abandoned the planet.
Additionally, AUTO was shown to be very intelligent, understanding everything it was told while only needing to respond on occasion. This intelligence, though, was covered by the fact that it was impatient and highly ruthless despite lacking basic morality. It displays this when it crushes WALL-E and the plant in the climax without hesitation. This shows that its amoral nature prevents it from relating to anyone unless it fits its programming. Therefore, given that it never meant any harm of its own volition, saying it deserved to be shut down is debatable, and makes AUTO unique from a conventional villain.
Biography[]
Backstory[]
AUTO
The Axiom, designed for launch in the year 2105, was originally supposed to carry people into space for a 5-year cruise while hundreds of WALL-E robots cleaned up the trash and pollution everywhere on the planet Earth.
However, Operation Cleanup, as it was dubbed, failed as all but one WALL-E unit (the film's protagonist) broke down, and the living conditions on Earth became uninhabitable.
The Autopilot of the Axiom (or AUTO itself) receives a message to never return to Earth, 700 years before the movie starts. No one else aboard the Axiom hears this message, and this is crucial. Because AUTO was the only one on the Axiom to know that the whole point of the star-ship was to sustain life for as long as possible, nobody could have questioned its mission. That being said, an EVE probe is sent to Earth periodically in search of plant life that would suggest that life on Earth was sustainable. However, AUTO tries its hardest to make sure they never go back for misguided, yet well-intentioned reasons.
AUTO's allies are GO-4 (Gopher) and the Stewards who are the security bots.
WALL-E[]
In the movie, WALL-E and EVE (the film's protagonist and deuteragonist respectively) find a plant specimen and EVE is taken back to the Axiom with WALL-E in tow. However, AUTO is aware of this immediately, so it sends another smaller probe/their henchmen named GO-4 to take the plant and kill it.
WALL-E and EVE manage to retrieve the plant from an escape pod that was about to self-destruct (with WALL-E still inside) and they deliver it to the Captain of the Axiom, who desperately wants to return to Earth. After the discovery of the plant from EVE, AUTO reveals its true nature, and sends GO-4 to throw it into the trash chute.
WALL-E, who was climbing up the chute, manages to save the plant. GO-4 traps EVE, while AUTO angrily electrocutes and zaps WALL-E, nearly killing him. WALL-E falls back into the garbage chute as AUTO shuts EVE down and throws her into the garbage chute as well (in the video game, AUTO electrocutes EVE and throws her in the chute.). AUTO mutinies against the Captain, confining him to his room.
EVE manages to reboot and saves WALL-E, who is in critical condition (in the deleted scenes or video game, WALL-E saves EVE in critical condition). WALL-E, who has the plant, gives it to EVE, who realizes that if they can get it to the ship's Holo-Detector, they can return to Earth and save WALL-E. EVE, holding a nearly destroyed WALL-E, points her blaster at a Steward. It takes an image of them successfully before being thrown in the closet. The Steward's photo is then broadcasted around the Axiom. The Captain, who sees this, realizes that there is still hope after all. AUTO sees it too and sends an angry pack of Stewards to kill EVE and WALL-E.
The Captain broadcasts a message to EVE and WALL-E and tells them where the Holo-Detector is. AUTO cuts off the message and they are confronted by an army of Stewards. With the help from certain defective robots that WALL-E saved earlier, they manage to completely annihilate the Stewards (mostly done with HAN-S' help), who were cut up to pieces.
Meanwhile, the Captain manages to trick AUTO into coming down into his room. The Captain grabs onto AUTO, who pulls him up into the Command Deck while trying to get him off. In the fray, the Captain manages to activate the Holo-Detector. EVE flies towards it, but AUTO, being a wheel, furiously spins itself and throws the Captain off, tilting the entire Axiom to the side. AUTO then turns the Holo-Detector off.
As it sinks back into the floor, WALL-E holds up the Holo-Detector, while EVE holds back a tram that would have crushed several people to death due to the position of the Axiom. AUTO electrocutes the button that turns off the Holo-Detector, causing it to slam down and crush WALL-E, nearly smashing him beyond repair. The Captain, seeing this, finally gets to his feet and battles AUTO.
The Captain manages to hoist himself up and switch AUTO's autopilot function into manual, relieving the rogue AI of its duty by shutting it off instantly and turning it to manual control. The Captain straightens out the Axiom, EVE manages to slip the plant in the Holo-Detector before it completely crushes WALL-E, and the Axiom jumps into hyperdrive and lands on Earth. EVE manages to fix WALL-E and the two live happily together. Thus leaving AUTO's plan to leave humans on the Axiom in vain.
What becomes of AUTO afterwards is unknown, but it is possible it was either dismantled or reprogrammed in order to keep him from causing any more trouble.
BURN-E[]
Aside from its battle with the Captain, AUTO makes a short appearance when the Axiom's computer notifies it about one of the spires on the Axiom's hull being damaged by a meteor from Saturn's rings, prompting AUTO to contact SUPPLY-R to send BURN-E to repair the damage, though his efforts were constantly thwarted by WALL-E and EVE's interference.
Quotes[]
“
Captain, you are needed on the bridge.
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~ AUTO's first lines.
“
Captain, Probe One has returned positive.
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~ AUTO to Captain McCrea, telling him that EVE found the plant.
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AUTO: Contains no specimen. Probe's memory is faulty. Captain McCrea: So, then... we're not going back to Earth? AUTO: Negative. Captain McCrea: I guess, things go back to normal, huh? AUTO: Correct, Captain. Captain: (instantly upbeat) WELL, FALSE ALARM!
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~ AUTO's agreement to McCrea.
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Good night, Captain.
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~ AUTO at night time on the Axiom
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Captain McCrea: AUTO, EVE found the plant. Fire up the holo-detector. AUTO: Not necessary, Captain. You may give it to me. Captain McCrea: You know what? I should do it myself. AUTO: Captain... (transitions over) Sir, I insist you give me the plant. Captain McCrea: AUTO, get out of my way. AUTO: We cannot go home. Captain McCrea: What are you talking about? Why not? AUTO: That is classified, Captain. Give me the plant. Captain McCrea: What do you mean "classified"? You don't keep a secret from the captain. AUTO: Give me the plant. Captain McCrea: Tell me what's classified. AUTO: The plant. Captain McCrea: Tell me, AUTO! That's an order! AUTO: ...Aye aye, sir.
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~ AUTO to Captain B. McCrea, blocking the Captain's exit, before the latter orders it to tell him why he needs to take the plant away.
“
Irrelevant, Captain.
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~ AUTO refusing to admit that Directive A113 is outdated and that Shelby Forthright was wrong about Earth being uninhabitable.
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Give me the plant.
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~ AUTO whenever the plant EVE found is near it, which is crucial for planet Earth's revival.
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On the Axiom, you will survive.
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~ AUTO to Captain B. McCrea, insisting that the Axiom sustains human life better than Earth's current condition.
“
Must follow my directive.
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~ AUTO to Captain B. McCrea, insisting that AUTO's orders must be followed.
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Not possible.
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~ AUTO when it finds out about WALL-E and EVE's escape and sends the Stewards after them, and also when it is tricked by the Captain into releasing him.
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No.
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~ AUTO falling for Captain McCrea's trick (the quote later being reused upon AUTO discovering WALL•E holding up the Holo Detector).
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AUTO: LET GO. LET.... GO. Captain B. McCrea: Too heavy for ya?! Huh? AUTO: GET OFF. GET OFF. Captain B. McCrea: You're not getting away from me, one eye! Ahh!! Is that all you got?!
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~ AUTO getting into a fight with the Captain.
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ENOUGH.
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~ AUTO’s villainous breakdown as it tilts the Axiom by spinning itself, and throwing the Captain aside, to stop WALL•E and EVE from putting the plant inside the Holo Detector.
Theories[]
AUTO's role in the movie is a matter of debate. Whether it's a true villain preventing humans from returning to Earth because it wants control, or is merely doing everything it can to follow the orders it was given has been debatable among fans. This issue can be looked upon either way.
Due to AUTO's apparent lack of true sentience (it was always very mechanical) it's possible that it was just following its program. However, when a machine follows its program, it can easily be seen as "evil" since something run purely by logic does not have the capability to understand ethics (in fact, ethics are often the opposite of logic) - this means beings that follow programs often appear ruthless, authoritarian and even evil. In other words, the idea of something void of emotion is alien to a lot of people, and thus is seen as negative regardless of whether or not the character itself is "good" or "bad".
Another theory states that it's neither "logical" nor "ethical". However, ethics, which govern proper conduct, must always be in accordance with reason. It can be said that a rational being would interpret humanity's position in the Axiom as physically and intellectually decadent, while their return to Earth shows renewed duty and active control over their own fate. Because of this, it can be argued that returning home was the ethically correct solution in this scenario, even if staying aboard the Axiom, logically had a higher chance of survival.
Often, a cold and emotionless logician doesn't factor in some of the subjective values that must be taken into account when considering people’s conduct. For instance, AUTO doesn’t follow the best course for humanity, for the sake of humanity. Instead, it operates logically within the confines of its programming, but this is limited to a single mission: "Stay the course" and "Do not return to Earth", only thinking of the most efficient way to keep these things true. Because of this, it's not "evil" because it has malice or ill-intent. Instead, it only thinks in the limited context of what it’s supposed to do to fulfill its mission: extending an outdated order from centuries past. The amorality comes then, through AUTO’s actions, not its sense of self.
AUTO's Space Klaxon Alarm, alerting GO-4 to steal the plant. (also heard in the Star Trek franchise)
Trivia[]
AUTO is one of the few Disney and Pixar villains to never actually be inherently evil - only acting on orders that it had received. Even its attempted murder of WALL-E was not out of malice.
The code that AUTO gets to never return to Earth is A-113, a code used in many other Pixar films. It references the classroom at the California Institute of Arts where Andrew Stanton, the director of the film and other Pixar staff learned animation. This is the first (and only known) time A-113 was incorporated into the film's plot, as well as the second time overall that a Pixar reference has a major role in a Pixar film, with the first being the license plate of the Pizza Planet Truck that the toys used to chase Al in Toy Story 2.
AUTO is the only robot in the film who speaks in full, unprogrammed sentences the way that humans do. The Stewards' sentences do not count because they were programmed inside of them.
Ironically, its own performer wasn't even a human being, but rather a programmed device.
AUTO's "voice actor" is so far the only case where Pixar has used a non-human to voice a talking character. Apparently, sound designer, Ben Burtt, had recorded his own script and injected the vocal transcription into MacInTalk to generate AUTO's lines.
AUTO symbolises how humans rely on technology for their everyday needs, as seen when it completely controls the ship.
AUTO acts as a foil to WALL-E. Both robots have different purposes which are in relation to the failure of BnL's Operation Cleanup (WALL-E's is to collect heaps of trash on Earth; AUTO's is to control everything in Axiom). Both also gave concern to the matter of the Axiom inhabitants permanently returning to planet Earth. However, WALL-E himself has surprisingly developed a sense of sentience in him before, something that AUTO completely lacks due to its fixed coding. Such matter also made WALL-E support the idea of the Axiom's inhabitants' return to Earth, which AUTO was strictly against because of its own programming. If WALL-E didn't have this sentience of his much earlier and was not able to make everyone in Axiom return to Earth, he would've ended up like AUTO.
It was likely inspired by one of the most iconic spaceship A.I.s, HAL-9000 (who likely also inspired the Omnidroid) from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is clear by the aesthetic of AUTO's eye - the same as HAL's; likewise, their antagonistic role against the protagonists was due to their programming, rather than any true malice or self-serving goal. Hal, WALL-E's pet cockroach, is believed to have also been named after HAL-9000. Interestingly, the composition "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss, which is widely known for being the theme song for the live-action film, can be heard during the climax when AUTO was facing against Captain McCrea.
According to the film's original storyboards, concept art and animatics, AUTO was originally envisioned as looking like a bigger and male version of EVE as one deleted scene that was an earlier interpretation of when AUTO plays Shelby Forthright's message that gives the order to remain in space showed AUTO going to a hidden chamber in the Axiom, where he would witness Forthright's message instead of showing it to Captain McCrea and EVE.
Despite its defeat, out of a technicality, AUTOidn't really die in the process. It just lost its control over the Axiom after being deactivated a, and could be reactivated again.
On the portraits of the Axiom's previous captains, AUTO is seen in the background, getting progressively closer to a point where it’s practically on top of their shoulders. This implies that by the time of the film, AUTO was the actual captain of the Axiom, and the human captains were nothing more than figureheads.
Villains