Scott Robinson

The AIs and Androids of Star Trek Scott Robinson

Trek fans the world over know the following names: Nomad... M-5... Landru... V'Ger... Finnegan... and, of course, Data. Star Trek has given the science fiction universe some of its most interesting and provocative AIs and androids, and with them an insightful flow of concepts to consider as AI makes its way into the real world. Now that we've begun talking to machines and are beginning to turn decisions over to them, it's a great time to look at the imagined technology of the far future and consider what might actually be possible in the near future, in light of the AI revolution that's now underway. Will machines think for themselves, as V'Ger did? Will they become self-aware, as Data was? Will they make war on us, in the footsteps of Landru and Vaal? Will we consult with them, as Voyager's crew did the EMH, or follow Tasha Yar's lead and take them to bed? These and many other questions are answered in this snackable volume, which blends Trek fan service with the nuts and bolts of real AI, the study of consciousness, and the philosophy of mind. The AIs and androids considered cover the full range of the Trek canon, including the AI Control from Star Trek: Discovery and Data's daughter, the android Soji from Star Trek: Picard.