We started watching the final season of Picard on the weekend, and it was, as promised, a Next Gen homage. I was never as big a fan of Star Trek: TNG as Jane. It bugged the hell out of me that they kept letting the Borg off the hook.
But still, it’s an iconic series, and it’s nice to have this season-long send off.
I did wonder though, as I watched Picard, Crusher, Seven and Ryker interact with various ship computers, why they seemed to have no more personality than Alexa or Google’s lady in a can.
Siri has some personality, but like Siri it’s a little flakey.
Now I know the answer, of course. The original writers and producers worked in an era when computers needed to be housed in whole warehouses, and the promise of AI was literally science fiction. It makes sense that in the original Star Trek, the ship’s computer was more functional and Alexa-like.
Nowadays, though, it’s striking how constrained the Federation’s computers are. Almost as task focussed and affect-free as the resolutely non-sentient processors used by the Sturm in The Cruel Stars.
I may have missed some backstory over the years, but it’s not as though the Feds haven’t encountered AIs with personality and runaway delusions of grandeur.
I'm sure Captain James T Kirk put a stop to all that fucking nonsense. "I'm not...putting...up with that...shit", or words to that effect (Series 2, Ep 4).
But in Star Trek: Lower Decks we do discover that the Daystrom Institute have a bookcase were they store all evil sentient computers that they create, discover, are attacked by see Lower decks Season 2 Episode 7 "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie"
Picard Season 1 hints that the Zhat Vash have basically kept AI from being actually developed by the Federation (and Gorn and Klingons and Romulans and Vulcans, etc).
they did have them but they put it in human form (Data) rather than as a workhorse/servant in things and they worked alongside (or fought against) them.
I'm sure Captain James T Kirk put a stop to all that fucking nonsense. "I'm not...putting...up with that...shit", or words to that effect (Series 2, Ep 4).
But in Star Trek: Lower Decks we do discover that the Daystrom Institute have a bookcase were they store all evil sentient computers that they create, discover, are attacked by see Lower decks Season 2 Episode 7 "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie"
Gotta go back to the original series . Season 2 ep 24 . I looked it up . The Ultimate Computer . Maybe explains the reluctance on AI a bit .
Picard Season 1 hints that the Zhat Vash have basically kept AI from being actually developed by the Federation (and Gorn and Klingons and Romulans and Vulcans, etc).
I could do with an assistant with some spunk. Something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNgOqNNWLQ4
they did have them but they put it in human form (Data) rather than as a workhorse/servant in things and they worked alongside (or fought against) them.