Dec 23, 2013
It’s the 10th Anniversary of Battlestar Galactica. And it’s more relevant than ever.
Posted by Seb in categories: existential risks, human trajectories, robotics/AI
By Miles Brundage — Slate
Ten years ago this month, a reimagined version of the ’70s science fiction series Battlestar Galactica began as a three-hour miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel. (This was before the “Syfy” nonsense.) The critically acclaimed show ended up running for four seasons. Many articles and books have already been written about the enduring relevance of Battlestar Galactica’s religious and political themes—at least one of which, the dilemmas associated with a secretive national security state, is just as timely today as it was during the Bush administration.
But another key element of the show—the long-term societal risks associated with the development of intelligent machines—is even more relevant today than it was in 2003.