this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2025
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Fuck AI
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The idea of the "virtual friend" has been around for a long time. I think it's curious that like Star Trek or other franchises hasn't used that idea yet, for what I know.
SeaQuest DSV did it in a recurring way, without really touching on the dark side of it...
And of course the TNG holodeck had numerous one-shots of the concept. Barclay and recreating all his colleagues but in 'better' ways, Geordi making the idealized Leah Brahms in one episode, and then latter having to face the creepiness of that scenario. TNG at least eventually held things up to the probelmatic consequences...
Well they fiddle a bit with it, but full blown AI companions for everyone? Guess it'd be boring as hell to watch...
Full blown AI as in a person, albeit synthetic, well you have Data, and the EMH in Voyager.
Striking upon the version of a synthetic 'intelligence', but just an echo chamber for the person that it is made in service for, yeah, those are there and better as a one shot, at least in a show where the recurring cast shouldn't be completely dysfunctional. It's a way to show a character growing and facing the negative consequences of 'the easy way out', and not very good if the character has to just stay in the muck for the duration.
Well the ai friend could be "a la Matrix" and thus not the easy way out but like a parenting/concerned friend. But I still imagine it would be not very funny.
Does Rimmer on Red Dwarf count?
Ha ha ha ha, well I don't really know 😁