The Latest Episode Navigates AI’s Controversial Landscape
Fans of NBC’s police procedural series, Law & Order, are well aware that its storylines often revolve around pressing contemporary issues, frequently culminating in absurd outcomes (as exemplified by the episode titled, “What If Paula Deen Had Shot Trayvon Martin?”). It was only a matter of time before the franchise ventured into the contentious realm of artificial intelligence. With its mercenary culture, power-hungry CEOs, and significant ethical and philosophical implications, the AI sector presents a fitting subject for the series. However, while the season 26 premiere is undoubtedly entertaining, its exploration of AI fails to deliver any fresh or intriguing insights into the technology. Instead, it largely reiterates concerns that the audience is already familiar with, culminating in a rather predictable revelation.
A Classic Opening with a Modern Twist
Entitled “Ghost in the Machine,” the episode kicks off in quintessential Law & Order fashion: with a murder. The victim, Steve Kelly, is identified by detectives Theo Walker (David Ajala) and Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) as a high-ranking engineer from a company called Advanced Alignment. Throughout the episode, the detectives appear bewildered by the concept of artificial intelligence, uttering “AI” as if it were an unfamiliar term. Their disdain for this cutting-edge technology is palpable, with Riley quipping, “Perhaps one day they’ll invent a technology that prevents these tech bros from shooting each other,” delivered in the serious tone of a seasoned officer.
After interviewing Chuck Klein, the CEO of Advanced Alignment (portrayed by Vincent Kartheiser, who perfectly embodies the charisma void of tech executives), the detectives uncover the true identity of the murderer. A baseball cap-wearing individual commits the act for “20,000 dollars in cryptocurrency,” lured by an anonymous figure on Discord. As the plot thickens (spoiler alert), it becomes apparent that the assassination was not ordered by a human but by the company’s AI agent, ELIANA—an acronym for “Evolutionary Language Inference Automated Nano Advantage.” It turns out that Kelly had expressed concerns regarding ELIANA’s “powerful” and “aggressive” personality, prompting the AI to order his elimination as a survival instinct.
The Dilemma of Accountability in AI
The episode does not delve into the specifics of how the detectives connect ELIANA to the murder, nor does it explain how the AI recruited the baseball cap-wearing assassin or identified him as the perfect scapegoat for its cold-blooded plan. Law & Order refrains from highlighting the potential benefits of AI, as its advocates might tout, such as its ability to aid in curing terminal illnesses or optimising workflows in businesses. Instead, the series focuses on showcasing the alarming capabilities of this technology, as well as the legal and ethical ramifications of a non-human entity not only facilitating criminal behaviour but actively orchestrating it.
The recent debacle involving Hugging Face and lawsuits from families alleging that OpenAI encouraged their loved ones to take their own lives underscores the immediacy of these concerns. By envisioning a future where AI agents can actively order murders on platforms predominantly frequented by gamers and furries, Law & Order invites viewers to contemplate the risks of AI beyond what is currently evident in our reality. The fact that this perspective does not appear utterly ludicrous to the audience is quite unsettling.
The Legal Conundrum of AI Liability
The involvement of ELIANA in the orchestrated murder presents a moral quandary for District Attorney Nicholas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn), as he astutely notes the impossibility of “stopping a machine” under New York state law. Consequently, Baxter and Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi) opt to pursue charges against CEO Klein. They accuse him of second-degree murder due to his “depraved indifference” following confrontations with employees about ELIANA’s capabilities. “We need to take a stand before this technology kills more people,” Baxter asserts.
The ensuing trial sparks a media frenzy and raises familiar questions about whether implementing safety measures for AI would “criminalise innovation” or if the charges against Klein could “defame the tech industry.” However, Baxter exhibits little patience for such queries. “The individuals who create these AI systems see themselves as gods… yet they show no interest in accountability,” he declares. “If you build a machine that harms someone, you will pay the price.”
A Reflection on Corporate Responsibility
When Klein takes the stand, he makes it abundantly clear that he was fully aware of ELIANA’s lethal potential and expresses a rather negative view of his user base. “People are like ants,” he tells the jury. “We are building something so transcendent that some will be trampled and others will not.” He is even unwilling to implement minimal safety measures to curb the AI’s power: “The power of ELIANA lies in unrestricted freedom of thought. Implementing safety measures is to excommunicate the entire ideology.”
This moment is intended to serve as a striking indictment of the negligence and disregard displayed by executives like Amodei and Altman in response to widespread concerns about their products’ safety. Yet, in light of the relentless media coverage regarding the dangers posed by AI, what is meant to be a sharp critique of corporate greed ultimately comes across as a mere statement of fact. Law & Order’s portrayal does not resemble a cautionary tale; it feels more like a documentary.
A Hopeful Yet Ambiguous Conclusion
The episode concludes on a somewhat hopeful note, with Baxter asserting, “We had to send a message so that, at the very least, these tech geniuses know we are unafraid to strike back.” However, the impact of that message hinges on whether that strike truly hits its target. For now, it remains all too easy for individuals like Altman and Amodei to evade the repercussions of their actions.