‘There’s no shortage of terrifying technology’: how AI became TV drama’s new go-to villain

Editor's take

AI's increasing prominence as a narrative device in television dramas reflects a societal grappling with its rapid advancement and potential consequences. This trend, exemplified by shows like *The 100* featuring rogue AI or *Westworld*'s sentient robots, signifies a cultural anxiety mirroring real-world debates about AI safety and control, moving beyond simple technological novelty to explore existential risks.

The proliferation of AI villains underscores a shift in storytelling, where complex, unseen algorithms can now embody a more sophisticated form of threat than traditional antagonists. This taps into public apprehension about autonomous systems and the ethical dilemmas they present, a sentiment amplified by recent advancements in large language models and their unpredictable capabilities.

Future narratives will likely explore the nuances of AI's dual nature, moving beyond outright malevolence to examine its potential for misuse by human actors or its unintended societal impacts. The focus may shift from AI as the direct antagonist to AI as a tool that exacerbates existing human flaws or creates new forms of societal control.