Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica spinoff that debuted on the SyFy network this week, examines ethical implications of artificial intelligence and robotics. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by revealing that, if you ever watched Battlestar, you know humanity’s dabbling with strong AI didn’t end well for our species.
Even though the show is fiction, I was glad to learn they production team is employing an engineering professor from Northwestern University to advise them on “artificial intelligence, robotics and neuroscience.”
(Engineering professor Malcolm) MacIver says the gig will help improve the public’s understanding of scientific concepts, maybe even more than if they were sitting through a scientific lecture.
This isn’t his first Hollywood experience. Last year MacIver was a consultant for the upcoming science fiction film “Tron Legacy.”
It can only be a good thing if fiction inspires people to learn more about the concepts presented within, especially when those concepts include ideas like sentient AI.