Reviews

This episode blessedly deals a deathblow to the idiotic declaring of AI-endowed machines to be lifeforms.

Ridiculous discussions defending a smart-bomb's right to exist. A bad joke.

Even when the mechanically simulated "being" is discovered to be nothing other than a bomb, the crew continues to implore it to abandon its programmed function to live a "meaningful life" in a holodeck.

So absurd, it is pitiful.

The same level of intelligence in a well-produced video game can be placed in a robot that looks human --- this does not make him any more human and sentient than the computer game --- except to ignorant people who are fooled by their emotions.

Sentience is NOT a well-written artificial computer intelligence program, since such a program contains NO identity or feeling being. It is no more real and feeling than an actor playing a pre-written role, who leaves the studio to resume his actual self, unmoved in any permanent way by his performance.

The AI programmed robot may ACT OUT a more varied set of reactions and computed thoughts than the actor, but it is nonetheless ONLY computing its reactions electronically within a limited programmed methodology written by human beings, and utterly mechanically regimented.

These episodes, though entertaining, are frighteningly naive and misleading. And they breed erroneous ideas and misplaced values.

I never cease to be amazed and shocked at the downward spiral of human philosophy. Its approach to science has all but erased the fundamental spirit and morality every human once knew was contained in the core of its being.

This episode is but another example of the warped application of mechanical science to understanding the grand Godliness of man and his elevated unique spirit.

As if, despite being a technical person, B'Elana couldn't see the enormous world of difference between a human being and a machine whose nature and functions were nothing more than the very limited programming created by a human being.

The story follows her risking human life and the prime directive to save human-created mechanisms, solely on the basis of the appeal of their simulated human characteristics and programmed self-awareness.

As if a program running on a machine - whether a human-looking graceful android, any more than a clunky mainframe computer - could ever be truly sentient and have an identity simply because of a clever program with a modicum of artificial intelligence!

Has mankind in its love of technological conveniences actually come to believe that a human-equivalent deserving of respect and human rights can be constructed out of machinery and human-written code that, at best, simulates the infinite broadness of human thought to only a miniscule degree?

Do they not realize that such a machine - even if it is made to look human - is merely electronics and motoric parts running a program that is itself human-designed, error-filled and based upon a human creator's extremely limited understanding even of himself - let alone the depth and breadth of a human soul?

Even the best actor delivering an astoundingly realistic portrayal of a character can by no extrapolation of imagination even begin to become that fictional character in his daily life. Similarly, a human-style android is a mere shadow of a human character and has no internal identity. All attempts to create such an identity are simply pre-written computer logic that simulates human style, but has no intrinsic self at its core.

What is so horrendous about this story and others like it that abound in the later Star Trek and other science fiction stories, is the degradation of true human life and its lofty moral capabilities by equating life with mechanical lifeless mechanisms.

Mechanisms have no identity and no morality - fortunately this episode at its end does, atypically, make that point to a certain degree.

This episode is one of many that explore the essence of a man and his personality vs. an android and his "persona".

The protagonist, Dr. Graves, is an expert in cybernetics. Living alone on a planet with a young woman associate, he has been exploring methodology aimed at adding a human persona to computer and android mechanisms.

The Enterprise is summoned by calls for help by his female aid, Kareen, because Dr. Graves is dying, as subsequently diagnosed. The Enterprise crew arrives to find Graves in pain and displaying bitterness, arrogance and regret over losing his life and the realization of many personal dreams.

The doctor makes particular effort to become close to Data, treating him as a grandson and telling him of his life and dreams. It becomes apparent that he has always loved Kareen and regrets the age difference that has prevented the possibility and consummation of a relationship.

After passing away, it becomes apparent that the doctor has transferred his persona into Data and has co-opted his body completely, suppressing Data's "persona" to an inactive state.

As his behavior in the body of Data becomes increasingly emotional, arrogant and erratic, the Enterprise staff figure out what has happened. The co-opted Data pursues Kareen and after being rejected accidentally injures her. This is followed by additional altercations and injuries to crew members, leading up to a plea from Captain Picard that the doctor relinquish control over Data's body thereby, according to the Captain "depriving another being of his life".

Once again we are confronted with the question of whether only a man can be considered a life form or whether an artificial machine with self-awareness should also be thus categorized and have his "right to life" protected.

As in previous reviews, I must once again point out the irrationality of such arguments and the degrading attitude they project on the human soul.

To my mind, all arguments about self-awareness defining a life form are absurd and reflect utter ignorance of computers and their programming.

No matter how much artificial intelligence, ranges of decision parameters, creative options and even random ideas that you program into an artificial mind, you can NEVER create anything like a human persona that has unlimited thoughts and feelings fashioned by his unique soul and identity.

The reason is simple: the android's programming - even if self-awareness is included - is never more than the programmed reaction possibilities written by the programmer. And the programmer is a human being who, along with all of mankind, has only limited understanding of himself and the human soul/mind.

More so, a program is just that - a preset rule-book of inputs and reactions - even if broad in possibilities, it remains totally preset and limited to an infinite degree, thus precluding any possibility of attributing such an android's decisions, words and actions to a unique persona of its own. The possibilities - however broad ranged - can never breach the bounds and idiosyncrasies of the program. Period.

Therefore, the android has no feelings and no independent identity, only reactions executed by the lines of code in the program.

The moral implications of comparing such an android to a human being are frightening and no less than a degradation and threat to the dignity and rights of true life forms.

Underlying this philosophy is a malevolent ulterior motive to neutralize the imperative of moral behavior, rendering all absolute human values relativistic.

"Obviously" it is claimed, any moral limitations and value judgments can be shown to be parochial and non-binding on others, by pointing out that these artificial "life-forms" can be programmed to simulate human life, with no acceptance of any or all human conventions and values. You can build a "Data" to do any vile or immoral acts with no compunctions about them, by simply programming him to lack all such values.

The goal of such a philosophy as appears in these episodes is precisely aimed at tearing down all societal expectations and moral absolutes, creating a "wild west" without human values - since "life forms" without such can be created - and where everyone can do exactly as he pleases as long as he has sufficient political backing to sanction his group's morality (or lack thereof) as a "valid" system.