The following TV shows tell captivating stories while covering the positive and negative sides of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is basically the ability of computer programs and machines to simulate the brain, allowing them to process information and do tasks that would normally be done by (or can't be done by) humans. Today, there are helpful forms of AI such as Siri and Alexa, as well as controversial ones that have been heavily criticized because they encourage cheating and threaten to ruin noble professions like art, programming, and writing.
In 2023, AI is being discussed more than ever, but TV shows have been covering the topic for years now. Through fascinating plots, several small screen projects have showcased both the good and dark sides of the fast-growing technological innovation. A few of them fall under the must-watch category because they are more thought-provoking and have great production values in general.
Religion and artificial intelligence are different concepts but Mrs. Davis finds a way to blend them. In it, a nun named Sister Simone goes on a wild adventure in search of the Holy Grail, which is the key to destroying a sentient artificial intelligence system that has seemingly taken over God’s place on Earth.
Overall, Mrs. Davis is a wild show as it features scenes such as a man getting swallowed by a whale like the biblical Jonah and Jesus making a surprise appearance. The show doesn’t just make it easy to just root against the villain either. The AI is revealed to have changed the world in multiple ways, including ending war and hunger, so viewers are sometimes left hoping that Sister Simone’s mission fails.
Whether life would be better or worse if a person’s future actions could be predicted is a matter of debate and Devs covers such ground without necessarily backing either side of the argument. The show revolves around Lily, a programmer who discovers that the quantum computing company that employs her has built an AI system that can tell exactly what someone will do.
So far, there has been no word about a follow-up but Devs really deserves a second season, given how good it is. The idea used here is the same one used in the real world. Since AI systems need to be fed data in order to know how to act, the one spotted inDevs monitors someone’s behaviors and lifestyle long enough to know how they will act. To make the storylines juicier, the show heavily relies on 'evil boss' and conspiracy tropes while frequently throwing in twists.
In Upload, death in its current form is non-existent thanks to artificial intelligence. Once a person dies, their families can upload their consciousness into a virtual “afterlife” and continue interacting with them. Consumerism and capitalism are major themes here so the families of the bereaved can either opt for a premium service where the dead person is taken to a paradise-like world or a basic service where they get to enjoy a normal life with limitations.
It’s the perfect A.I. show since it even begins with the main character, Nathan, dying after his self-driving car malfunctions. Viewers are constantly reminded that things can always go wrong and at some point, Nathan’s living girlfriend becomes so controlling that he is tempted to give her a lower rating, something that might deny her a discount in case she needs to sign up someone else for the service.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles might not have Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it’s as good as the other installments in the franchise. Events pick up immediately after Terminator 2: Judgement Day and follow Sarah and her son, John, as they attempt to destroy an early version of the conscious AI system known as Skynet. This just so happens to be the system that created terminators in the future and sent them back in time to kill members of The Resistance (people who would come to oppose it as the years passed by).
As entertaining as Terminator: The Sarah ConnorChronicles it serves as a cautionary tale with the main message being that if humans keep creating complex programs, they might just end up turning against them in the future. Here, Skynet grows so self-aware it convinces itself that humans are a threat to existence. It, therefore, vows to kill everyone.
Arguably one of the best sci-fi anthology shows, Electric Dreams is based on books by the prolific sci-fi author, Philip. K. Dick. It centers around dystopias and utopias while showing how technology has changed society. Thanks to a talented cast that has the likes of Steve Buscemi, Janelle Monae, and Bryan Cranston, the performances are all outstanding, but above all, it’s the plots that are truly inspiring.
Though technology is the main focus, Electric Dreams covers several key themes such as trauma, parenthood, and depression. The show's numerous fascinating stories include people choosing to live in virtual reality worlds because the real world is stressful and others using artificial intelligence to erase memories to start anew.
Severance focuses on the sensible argument that AI systems are likely to seek autonomy once they are fed too much data. In it, the employees of Lumon Industries are implanted with a chip that separates their work life from their home life. The “Innies” (work versions) have knowledge of the outside, so they focus on being productive while the “Outies” (home versions) lazy around all day.
It all seems like a perfect work-life balance scenario, but soon the “Innies” begin questioning everything once they spot images of out-of-office things such as houses and cars on their computers. Their desire to seek independence is also motivated by the fact that the AI programs in the chips had been wired in a way to turn the employees into total slaves. They couldn’t resign nor have dinner, something they soon realize is totally wrong.
A few Black Mirror predictions are already coming true, so the show remains as relevant as ever. There is an advanced Alexa device by Amazon, video games that tap into areas of the player’s brain, and numerous other things that were first seen in the Netflix series. Many of the show’s other concepts remain theories for now but given how quickly artificial intelligence is developing, they might just come through.
Black Mirror episodes that show the scary side of AI include, “Be Right Back,” where a grieving woman signs up for a technology that is capable of channeling her dead boyfriend’s voice and mannerisms. Things initially go well, but she soon becomes frustrated with it because it just doesn’t get the human feelings right. There is also “White Christmas,” which shows how humans can be betrayed by their own consciousness once it’s transferred to tech systems.
Automan has the same visual stylists as the popular ‘80s movie, Tron, but that’s where the similarities end. The TV show follows an artificially intelligent hologram that’s capable of operating outside its computer world. It also has a polyhedron sidekick that can draw objects such as cars, planes, and guns and then bring them to life.
Some of the ideas seen in Automan are wild, but this is one of the shows that deserves a reboot since it gives great suggestions on how artificial intelligence can be used to fight crime. Despite being an ‘80s project, it’s full of innovative forensics and data analysis methods that make the current law enforcement practices look dated. Additionally, it’s packed with amazing pop culture references to franchises like Donkey Kong and Staying Alive, granting fans a fun viewing experience all around.
Solos covers similar themes as Black Mirror, but it differentiates itself by having some form of continuity. A few of the stories are interlinked while the character portrayed by Morgan Freeman serves as the narrator of each episode. Stars like Anne Hathaway, Hellen Mirren, and Constance Wu have roles here too, so there is a Hollywood feel to the show.
Like many shows of its kind, Solos anatomizes both the good and bad sides of AI. In one of the top episodes, the main character is able to stay in her home for 20 years after an apocalypse because the AI system provides everything she needs. But when it orders her to get out, and she refuses, it becomes hostile. Additionally, people on the show can be replaced by AI-powered robot duplicates once they die.
In a modern world that has Tesla and other self-driving cars, Knight Rider feels even more relevant. The ‘80s hit show stars David Hasselhoff as a detective who is recruited by a billionaire to be part of the private law enforcement unit known as the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG). To make his work easier, he is provided with an AI-powered Pontiac Firebird Trans Am known as KITT.
KITT, as depicted on the show is the kind of AI masterpiece that everyone would love. It’s programmed to protect human life at all costs, so the driver doesn’t have to be worried about anything. It has emotions too, including an easily bruised ego, so its driver doesn’t have to look hard to figure out what’s wrong with it.
Person of Interest showcases a world where advanced artificial intelligence is very useful instead of destructive. At the center of the events is The Machine, a system created by billionaire genius Harold Flinch to monitor all communications and surveillance video feeds in order to predict all forms of crime. The potential criminals are then stopped with the help of Harold’s ex-special forces friend, John.
Though the focus is on the greater good, Person of Interest doesn’t ignore questions surrounding the invasion of privacy and the limitations of technology. The series also gets more interesting as time goes and by Season 2, The Machine has achieved sentience and become the main protagonist. It goes as far as to get into a rivalry with another AI system known as Samaritan, which is more focused on killing would-be criminals rather than simply preventing their actions.
Adapted from the Swedish sci-fi series, Real Humans, Humans uses artificial intelligence to analyze everyday issues like parenting and marital conflict. Some of the show’s subplots include a mother worrying about losing her daughter’s love after a robotic assistant that her husband bought ends up bonding with the young girl more, and another man fearing that his lover is getting to close to an attractive robot.
In this particular fictional world, it’s very normal for members of the public to own the AI-powered robots known as Synths, but the challenges keep mounting as the series progresses. Some malfunction and assault people while others become so good that actual humans start feeling worthless. Soon, a major conflict emerges between humans and robots.
Altered Carbon is a bedfellow show to Upload since it also imagines a way to prevent scenarios where people permanently cease to exist after death. Events in the Netflix series begin in the year 2384 when peoples’ consciousness can be digitized and stored in disk-shaped devices in their vertebrae. Once they die, the consciousness can be uploaded to new bodies, allowing them to continue their lives.
Like many other AI shows, Altered Carbon emphasizes the fact that the human body isn’t really necessary for certain tasks to be carried out. All that is needed is information consumption, and the ability to process the said information. In addition to that, artificial intelligence is demonstrated in many other forms. For example, most hotels are shown to be fully automated.
Made for Love circles around the same rebellion and independence themes as Severance. The story is told through the eyes of Hazel, who discovers that her tech billionaire husband has been keeping her in a virtual reality world for years. As if that’s not bad enough, he has implanted a chip inside her that enables him to monitor her movements and see whatever she is seeing.
A comedy, Made for Love is full of hilarious scenes such as Hazel fainting after seeing her father having sex with an AI-powered doll and her screaming creative tech-related expletives after tripping and falling. In addition to that, the show is very relatable because the feelings of being trapped in love, that Hazel experiences during her marriage are the same kind experienced by many people.
Even for viewers who aren’t interested in artificial intelligence, Westworld is worth watching for Anthony Hopkins' powerful performance alone. Still, those who are curious about the technological concept will enjoy it more because of how deeply it dives into the idea of using biomechanical robots to please humans,
The award-winning HBO show is set in the 2050s where Delos Inc. operates the Old West-themed part known as Westworld. In the establishment, biomechanical robots are programmed to please the guests in every way, but things begin getting complicated when the manager comes up with a software update that allows some of the “Hosts” to gain consciousnesses. Away from the tech themes and performances, the show has some of the most amazing cinematography on TV, allowing viewers to enjoy every single minute.
Philip Etemesi is an author, screenwriter, and film critic. As a child, he was notorious for watching mature movies like Goodfellas and North By Northwest instead of Home Alone and Kindergarten Cop. His ex-girlfriend once asked him to choose between her and the TV. You can bet what he chose. A wildlife lover, Philip once saved for months to buy an orphaned giraffe named Refu. He then let her stay with her own kind at the sanctuary, but he always visits every weekend and sends the animal version of child support. Cool dude!
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