The Best TV Shows Depicting Artificial Intelligence

The world is currently witnessing the grandest collaboration in history between human beings and machines. As technology continues to evolve, we see a future where artificial intelligence is embedded in every facet of contemporary life, including film and TV.

Artificial intelligence is today being utilized for various creative endeavors from video and board games to art and poetry. However, nothing has been quite as dreamlike as AI being utilized to write the script of a sci-fi movie.

For the first time ever, an artificial intelligence bot making use of neural networks was used to entirely write Sunspring, a short experimental science fiction film that was created in 2016. The script and movie were the brainchild of director Oscar Sharp and an AI researcher known as Ross Goodwin.

To write the script, a recurrent neural network named Benjamin was fed the scripts of hundreds of other existing science fiction movies including well-known classics such as The Fifth Element, Ghostbusters, and more. From there, the neural network was tasked with the job of creating a screenplay, including the various actor directions.

The resulting screenplay and the theme song were then handed over to the cast to interpret and transform into a viable film. The actors were assigned random parts before filming began and the result was a strangely entertaining sci-fi story featuring themes of love and despair.

Though this was the first time that AI technology was utilized to entirely write a sci-fi film, AI, robots and the future have terrified and amused moviegoers and filmmakers alike for decades. When science collides with great filmmaking minds, there are no limits to what can be done which is why no other genre of film is as infinitely creative as sci-fi.

Because there are so many AI-inspired shows out there, it can be very difficult trying to narrow down the list of the best TV shows depicting artificial intelligence. The best of the best shows are those that reflect the realities of the real world to us through a peculiar, enlightening lens but in an entertaining way.

So, which are the best AI-inspired TV shows of all time? Here are some strange, wonderful- and in some cases-downright wacky AI-inspired shows:

Humans

Humans was a British American remake if a Swedish TV show titled Real Humans. The premise of the show was not exactly original but it was entertaining nonetheless. The show is set in the future and features human-like androids known as Synths that have become ubiquitously ingrained in human society.

The Synths are not really human but they share a lot of characteristics that the line between machine and humans is beginning to blur. The show basically explores the consequences of humans and intelligent beings living together.

The show doesn’t exactly break any new grounds or offer any new original answers probably because the AI featured in this show is more fantastical than realistic. Still, Humans is a fun and compelling show for anyone obsessed with AI and its possibilities.

Person of interest

Person of interest is one of the best shows there is- even without AI being featured. Person of interest is a high octane show that’s heavy on the action and conspiracies. However, what makes it so appealing for audiences is how realistic it is.

We already know that facial recognition is real and that the U.S Department of state has one of the largest face recognition systems in the world. Person of interest is centered on a massive AI that digests surveillance footage from across the country capable of predicting acts of terror before they occur.

The AI, known as the Machine communicated with its creator, and exceptional computer scientist named Mr. Finch, by supplying him with the social security number of anyone that may be involved in criminal activity- except that the social security number given could belong to the victim or the perpetrator.

Black Mirror

Black Mirror is one of those shows that depict AI from a realistic point of view. Black Mirror is a modernized version of the Twilight Zone but with a tech-based twist. Each episode of the show provides a standalone plot and a fresh cast which means that the audience never gets bored.

Most of the storylines in Black Mirror are bizarre and far-fetched. However, the genius of the show is that every episode seeks to push boundaries further to explore the consequent consequences and dangers of incorporating AI into our daily lives.

Battlestar Galactica

There aren’t many examples of AI on TV but Battlestar Galactica is one of the original AI-inspired TV shows. The show features primitive forms of AI known as robotic Cylon centurions and advanced ones known as humanoid Cylons.

Although AI was featured heavily in this TV drama, the show focused primarily on the drama and the nifty special effects and not the greatness of AI. If what you are looking for is something more AI-centric but realistically done, you might be better off exploring what the best books on AI have to offer.

Final Words

Hollywood has always enjoyed a long love affair with all things sci-fi, which also includes AI, robots, and super-intelligent beings; and the romance has never been as strong as it is today. A glance into TV lineups and upcoming films imply that human beings are obsessed with the futuristic and fantastical.

AI-inspired tales of mystical beings and worlds with improbably technological power are simply appealing. But that’s not the only way that AI is being utilized in show business. In the future, Hollywood and the international moviemaking landscape will change significantly and it will all be thanks to AI.

It seems more and more probable that decisions about scripts, budgets, and even genres may soon be left in the cold but very capable hands of algorithms and machines. Questions regarding whether a film should be greenlit, who the star should be, and whether the star should be human will be analyzed and answered by AI.

The good news is that although things are bound to change quite a bit in Hollywood, you can expect your favorite AI movies and TV shows to keep getting better and better.