Nerd point of order here: Star Trek TNG had a ship in which a key member of the bridge crew was an android. They routinely relied on Data for all kinds of critical things. And although the ship was manned by people, it couldn't function properly without its computer. Several episodes revolve around computer malfunctions.
Finally, their nemesis was the Borg, a race that explored the question of what happens if a society fully embraces AI and cybernetics instead of keeping it at a distance like the Federation does. The Borg are depicted as more powerful than the Federation exactly because they allowed AI to take over critical functions.
> Nerd point of order here: Star Trek TNG had a ship in which a key member of the bridge crew was an android. They routinely relied on Data for all kinds of critical things.
Data was created by technology not available to the Federation. As far as the order of society is concerned, he's magic and not technology. An immediate implication is that his ship was the only one in the Federation with an android crew member.
> And although the ship was manned by people, it couldn't function properly without its computer. Several episodes revolve around computer malfunctions.
This is true, though. The computer did take over many critical functions.
> This is true, though. The computer did take over many critical functions.
But the Star Trek computer was just a fairly normal computer with an AI-ish voice UI. And there have been present-day ships which couldn't function properly without their computer... I distinctly remember a story about a new (~20 years ago) US Navy warship not being able to go on its maiden voyage because Windows blue-screened.
Data was an android, but one that is meant to mimic an individual being. He may have been a form of AI, but he is no more than just an advanced human.
And yes, the ship couldn't function without computers - but they were traditional (but futuristic) computers manned by people, with AI guided by people - not AI that controlled every aspect of their lives.
I think when people think of AI, and the fear that comes with it - they imagine the type of AI that takes over human function and renders them unimportant.
Also, the Borg didn't fully embrace AI. They were a collective, linked together by technology. You can view them as more or less a singular entity with many moving parts that communicated over subspace, striving to achieve perfection (in their own eyes). As a consequence, they seek to assimilate (thus parasitizing their technological advancements for their own) or eradicate other species in an attempt to improve the Hive.
Finally, their nemesis was the Borg, a race that explored the question of what happens if a society fully embraces AI and cybernetics instead of keeping it at a distance like the Federation does. The Borg are depicted as more powerful than the Federation exactly because they allowed AI to take over critical functions.