Between 2011 through
2016, the fictitious television program Person of Interest ran on CBS for five
seasons.
Although the show's early episodes resembled a serial crime
drama, the tale developed into a science fiction genre that probed ethical
questions around artificial intelligence development.
The show's central concept revolves upon a monitoring system
known as "The Machine," which was developed for the United States by
millionaire Harold Finch, portrayed by Michael Emerson.
This technology was created largely to avoid terrorist acts,
but it has evolved to the point where it can anticipate crimes before they
happen.
However, owing to its architecture, it only discloses the
"person of interest's" social security number, which might be either
the victim or the offender.
Normally, each episode is centered on a single person of
interest number that has been produced.
Although the ensemble increases in size over the seasons,
Finch first employs ex-CIA agent John Reese, portrayed by Jim Caviezel, to
assist him in investigating and preventing these atrocities.
Person of Interest is renowned for emphasizing and
dramatizing ethical issues surrounding both the invention and deployment of
artificial intelligence.
Season four, for example, delves deeply into how Finch
constructed The Machine in the first place.
Finch took enormous pains to ensure that The Machine had the
correct set of values before exposing it to actual data, as shown by
flashbacks.
As Finch strove to get the settings just correct, viewers
were able to see exactly what might go wrong.
In one flashback, The Machine altered its own programming
before lying about it.
When these failures arise, Finch deletes the incorrect code,
noting that The Machine will have unrivaled capabilities.
The Machine quickly responds by overriding its own deletion
procedures and even attempting to murder Finch.
"I taught it how to think," Finch says as he
reflects on the process.
All I have to do now is educate it how to be
concerned." Finally, Finch is able to program The Machine successfully
with the proper set of ideals, which includes the preservation of human life.
The interaction of numerous AI beings is a second key
ethical subject that runs through seasons three through five.
In season three, Samaritan, a competing AI surveillance
software, is built.
This system does not care about human life in the same way
as The Machine does, and as a result, it causes enormous harm and turmoil in
order to achieve its goals, which include sustaining the United States'
national security and its own survival.
As a result of their differences, Samaritan and The Machine
find themselves at odds.
The Machine finally beats Samaritan, despite the fact that
the program implies that Samaritan is more powerful owing to the employment of
newer technology.
This program was mainly a critical success; nevertheless,
declining ratings led to its cancellation after just thirteen episodes in its
fifth season.
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You may also want to read more about Artificial Intelligence here.
See also:
Biometric Privacy and Security; Biometric Technology; Predictive Policing.
References & Further Reading:
McFarland, Melanie. 2016. “Person of Interest Comes to an End, but the Technology Central to the Story Will Keep Evolving.” Geek Wire, June 20, 2016. https://www.geekwire.com/2016/person-of-interest/.
Newitz, Annalee. 2016. “Person of Interest Remains One of the Smartest Shows about AI on Television.” Ars Technica, May 3, 2016. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/05/person-of-interest-remains-one-of-the-smartest-shows-about-ai-on-television/.
