Even 'Law & Order' Is Terrified of AI

Longtime fans of the NBC procedural know that storylines often center around hot-button issues in the news cycle, often to absurdist effect (see: the episode brave enough to ask: "What if Paula Deen shot Trayvon Martin?"). It was inevitable, then, that the franchise would dip a toe into the wacky world of artificial intelligence . With its mercenary culture, power-hungry CEOs, and massive ethical and philosophical implications, the rapidly evolving AI industry is ideal fodder for the series. But while this week's season opener is entertaining, the show's foray into the AI space doesn't say anything new or interesting about the technology. Instead it largely rehashes the dangers the public is already acutely aware of, until the very end when the stakes become startlingly clear.