Once the CBS drama Person of Interest (POI) shook off the constraints of the (rather limiting) procedural narrative structure, it foregrounded ethical debates about the use of artificial intelligence, pointing to key ideas within information ethics, a continuously growing philosophical field of study. On the surface, the showdown between the two super AIs, The Machine and Samaritan, had an Orwellian feel, but POI went beyond the familiar (and often simple) “rise of the machines” dystopian narrative.
Within “Team Machine,” the characters of Harold and Root primarily, debate the ethics surrounding the use of The Machine. Ultimately, the two share the same end game—saving innocent people, but Root seems to see the larger picture. In order to stop Samaritan from deploying its mysterious and troubling plans for order and control, she advocates for blurring ethical and moral lines when it comes to utilizing The Machine. Harold retains a more hardline and personal approach in terms of an ethical position when using the AI that he created. For example, their conversations often turn to the ethical concepts of responsibility, accountability, and whether a super AI, such as The Machine or Samaritan is or is not a moral agent. Other characters, such as Shaw and Reese, contribute to the ongoing discussion, offering ethical perspectives frequently rooted in varying notions of justice and good and evil. Through these debates and the flashbacks to the creation of The Machine, POI offers one of the more in-depth and nuanced explorations of information ethics in popular culture and provides an opportunity for a broader conversation about the ever-changing “infosphere” and how we consider the ethical issues linked to it.