"A Taste of Armageddon."
William Shatner is never one to back away from a good argument, nor does he shy away from giving his opinion. So, when the state of artificial intelligence was brought up in regard to both today’s society and the classic Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 episode “,” our beloved Captain Kirk wasted no time in musing on the subjects for those in attendance at this year’s ST: CHI Trek to Chicago convention. Shatner said courtesy of TrekMovie.com:
“Now that’s a story! The ability to kill — the machines! They got machines the size of a bird, undetectable sound, with little bits of explosive powder. You are going to die! As a result of us trying to find ways to kill each other in wars, more and more sophisticated. We have perfected ways of killing people through science and then that science after the war metastasizes and brings peace and prosperity."
Shatner continued by saying:
"We see AI changing — we are on the verge of such change. Even I — probably older than seven of you — will see the change that AI is going to bring. It can bring good and it can bring bad. And maybe both at the same time.”
For those new to the Star Trek fandom, TOS season 1’s “A Taste of Armageddon” finds the USS Enterprise caught up in a war fought entirely by computers. This so-called civilized approach to warfare between the people of Eminiar and Vendikar is akin to fighting a battle through a video game. It’s also simulated and there’s nothing truly destroyed in real life, so their civilizations won’t stagnate due to the horrors of war.
Regardless, there are still devastating consequences. While this way of life prevents the destruction of cities and whole populations, preserving these physical planets, those citizens who are registered as being in the targeted destruction zones must report to disintegration chambers and forfeit their lives! It’s like your character dying in Call of Duty, and then someone from the government comes up to you and says, “Sorry, you were killed during the war. Come with me, your life has been forfeited for the greater good.
As only Captain Kirk (Shatner) can, the Enterprise’s commander sets things right by destroying their computer system breaking the Prime Directive in the process. Kirk has forced Eminiar VII and Vendikar to once again face full-blown war, in the hopes that the terror of wiping out their collective societies will force both worlds to seek out a peace treaty, which will eliminate future deaths. Kirk once again breaks Starfleet’s rules, but the episode ends with on a hopeful note.
So, do you see the future of society succumbing to AI in more of “A Taste of Armageddon” way, or in more of a James Cameron’s Terminator type of scenario? Both? Neither? I feel confident in speaking on behalf of all Trekkies by saying both are extremely entertaining views, but the thought of either actually taking hold in real life is beyond terrifying. Share your thoughts and comments on the matter with us via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!