The Best TV Shows About Artificial Intelligence

Smart technology is already infiltrating our homes, and artificially intelligent virtual assistants have taken over our smartphones, all under the promise of making our lives easier. As technology improves, we imagine what it will be like in the future. Every year, we get closer and closer to the type of artificial intelligence we see in our favorite films and TV shows. Whether realistic or pure fantasy, it can be enlightening and entertaining to escape into an imagined future. If you’re not sure about where to start, the following are some of the best TV shows about artificial intelligence.

Humans

This is a British-American show that runs on Channel 4 in the UK and AMC in the US. It is based on the popular Swedish show Real Humans. Humans focuses on an alternate reality where artificially intelligent robots, known as “Synths,” serve as human-like assistants. Like many other films and TV shows about AI, Humans delves into the psychological impact of AI — for humans and robots. The show often feels dystopian in its quest to examine what a future with AI technology might look like.

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Person of Interest

This show is a sci-fi crime drama that aired on CBS from 2011 to 2016. Jonathan Nolan, whose other writing credits include two of the recent Batman films, Interstellar, and The Prestige, created the TV series. The series is about a crime-fighting team that uses artificial intelligence technology to predict, based on previous behavior, which people will commit crimes. They use this information to prevent crimes before they happen. The AI technology in this show is seen as more realistic than it is in other TV shows and films that are more fantasy-driven. The artificially intelligent “machine” in Person of Interest doesn’t resemble a human, nor is it portable or able to speak. As the show goes on, it increasingly revolves around the human relationship with artificial intelligence.

Westworld

This show, also created by Jonathan Nolan, recently started airing on HBO. It’s based on the 1973 film of the same name. It’s about a fictional amusement park for wealthy vacationers. The amusement park is technologically advanced, and is tended to by artificially intelligent human-like robots. The show focuses on how these robots gain awareness of their creation and cope with their existence and purpose.

Almost Human

Another sci-fi crime drama, this Fox show was highly rated but canceled after only one season. J. J. Abrams was an executive producer on the show, in addition to composing the theme music. The show takes place in 2048 and focuses on how advanced technology has dramatically increased crime.