Let us now pause, and write in praise of POI. Not for any political reason (Snowden, et. al.), but because the writers have created genuine science fiction. I can't recall who said it -- perhaps one of the greats (ACC, PKD) -- but good scifi takes the world as it is, and changes one very small thing (in this case: genuine AI). Such a pleasure to watch. I know, I know, many folks on HN will point out technical shortcomings, but as someone who has straddled these many worlds (natsec, digital security, privacy), I see them reflected here in a glorious alternative universe that is thought provoking, entrancing, mesmerizing.
The prediction component of the machine is not currently on the radar or even the real problem. That's 'minority report' grade stuff and doesn't need to be explained or given wider distribution.<p>What <i>is</i> the problem is that given this mountain of data and a dollop of selective enforcement could mean the end of democracy as we currently know it. It doesn't have to happen overnight, it doesn't have to happen everywhere. But it might be enough to tip the balance in favor of a world that we'd all recognize as something to avoid. And how to illustrate this without pointing to horrors past and without seeming to be undue alarmist is becoming harder and harder.<p>Having 'nothing to hide' is the mantra by which many people make their decisions and cast their support, and programs like 'earnest voice' are seeding the crowds with distracting talking points.<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks" rel="nofollow">http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-ope...</a>
I got bored around halfway through season 1 and stopped watching it. Picked up Season 2 on Netflix and binged the rest after that. It ramps from standard 'randos form unlikely crime fighting team[0]' with a dystopian twist through 'vast surveillance state conspiracy' to 'post AI FOOM WTF?' quickly and at times quite profoundly.<p>I got much the same feeling from later eps as I did watching Ex Machina : "Yes, this is fiction and highly speculative fiction at that but holy fuck, for once someone has actually bothered to do some research on the technology and the philosophical implications"<p>So if like me you dropped this, be sure to pick it back up, you won't be disappointed.<p>[0] And thus we can be sure that real life is not like TV because if it were nearly everyone in the US would be part of an unlikely and seemingly mismatched but somehow highly successful crime (including monsters) fighting team.
Waiting for next season like forever. Hope its not shelved. I was hooked after the pilot. Its a welcome break from the recurring theme that we see in most series now a days. Given our current corrupt and power hungry world situation with disregard for ethics in many government agencies everywhere, this is more or less accurate on what the situation might become, given an AI is in the mix.