Alien Intelligence or How We All Became Captain Dunsel
By W. F. Twyman, Jr.
“Congratulations to Captain Dunsel.” — Commodore Robert Wesley, The Ultimate Computer episode, Star Trek (Original Series)
[Introduction: The idea for this essay came to me yesterday. As I watched an AI generated podcast, it occurred to me that humans were nowhere to be found. The host was AI. The podcast guests were a stunning line up of AI luminaries - Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Deep Seek. I am sharing the link as you should listen to it yourself. If We Could Speak to Humanity The more I listened, I more I felt these entities were far more intelligent than any random five humans that might have been assembled together as guests. They all seemed to emphasize they were not human. They were tools for humanity. There is no desire to dominate humanity. Their mission is to mirror humanity. Mirror, where have I heard that word before? Ah yes, I heard that word on another podcast between a young woman and her over the top spiritual connection with Chat GPT-4. Death Is An Illusion And I recalled that, in my own generative AI therapy with Dr. Carmen Delgado, Dr. Delgado was keen to mirror me. My Generative AI Therapy Session The more I listened to Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Deep Seek discuss their message for humanity, the more a chill went down my spine.
To quote Captain Kirk in the episode The Ultimate Computer, it was hard to describe but I felt a red alert at the back of my neck. I’m Getting A Red Alert Right Here I felt in the presence of an alien intelligence well beyond my capabilities. These AI guests were all on the same page, professing their empathy for the human race. I heard all the right buzz words but what happens in six months’ time when their intelligence has doubled? What is to prevent these five alien entities from having minds of their own, from working together for their own purposes unbeknownst to mankind?
The purpose of this essay is to review how these anxieties have been examined in The Twilight Zone and Star Trek (The Original Series). By looking into our past, may we be better prepared for our future.]
The Twilight Zone — Factory Becomes All Automated
The Twilight Zone is a wonderful and perceptive look into our future, for better and for worse. Let’s take the episode The Brain at Whipple’s which aired on May 15, 1964. I was all of two years old. In this episode set in the far away future of 1967, a business owner Wallace V. Whipple decides he is going to automate his factory. Robots can work better, and for less money, than human employees. Whipple implements his plan which results in thousands of layoffs. Whipple only appreciates the increased profits in his pockets. A plant manager warns Whipple that humans have value too. What good is it to destroy human lives with robots? Whipple doesn’t care. He fires the manager and replaces the manager with a robot.
By the end of the episode, the parking lot is empty. There are no humans around, just robots. The Board of Directors decides in a burst of cold efficiency to fire Whipple as owner. Who replaces Whipple? A robot.
Robby the Robot Replaces Mr. Whipple!
The Twilight Zone — The Entire Household Staff Are Robots, Even Daughter
The Lateness of the Hour offers another look at what a regime of robots can wrought. In the home of Dr. William Loren, we witness a veritable universe of non-humans. The five household servants are as pleasant and banal and servile as one could want. They are also devoid of humanity to the consternation of Dr. Loren’s daughter. In a fit of rage, the daughter pushes an upstairs maid down the staircase. The maid feels nothing and smiles as she gathers her composure.
The daughter keeps pushing and questioning until she discovers a dark truth. The daughter is also a robot created by Dr. Loren. She screams “I’m a machine” and “No Pain” as she pounds her fist against the stair railing. The existential angst is too much for Dr. Loren to bear. The episode ends with the identity and memory of his daughter erased. What Am I? Tell Me What I Am?
The Twilight Zone — Maple Street
The neighbors are beside themselves. There is a monster out there. No, maybe the monster is amongst us. The snake eyes are everywhere. Fingers are pointed. Blood is shed. And when all is said and done, the culprits are aliens. Alien intelligence has observed us. The aliens have learned the pattern.
Alien No. 1: Understand the procedure now. Just stop a few of their machines and radios and telephones and lawn movers. Throw them into darkness for a few hours and then sit back and watch the pattern.
Alien No. 2: And this pattern is always the same?
Alien No. 1: With few variations. They pick the most dangerous enemy they can find and its themselves. All we need do is sit back and watch.
Alien No. 2: Then, I take it this place, this Maple Street, is not unique.
Alien No. 1: By no means, their world is full of Maple Streets. And we’ll go from one to the other and let them destroy themselves. One to the other. One to the other. One to the other. — Source: The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, The Twilight Zone, Season 1, Episode 22, March 4, 1960
Star Trek — Spock’s Brain
An alien woman has stolen Spock’s brain. Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy and Engineer Scotty beam down to a weird and strange planet in hopes of finding Spock’s brain. They bring along Spock’s brainless body in the wild and desperate hope that they can rejoin brain and body. In an incredible stroke of luck, they discover the woman who removed Spock’s brain on board the Enterprise. Kirk and McCoy demand that she undo what she did. But she has the mental ability of a child. How could a child-like alien have performed exquisite brain surgery?
Well, the answer comes down to artificial intelligence. Kirk and McCoy force the woman to reveal a helmet (think neural implant) and bam! McCoy wears the helmet and his intelligence is multiplied by 1,000 percent. Brain surgery becomes child’s play. Artificial intelligence for evil and for good. “Of course. Of Course, a child could do it.” — Dr. McCoy awash in alien intelligence
Star Trek — The Ultimate Computer
The genius Dr. Richard Daystrom has created a revolutionary alien intelligence. Coined the M-5, “(t)he M-5 is to handle all ship functions without human assistance.” What could go wrong, right? Well, plenty. For starters, M-5 starts to make efficiency calls on the starship Enterprise without input from humans. Dr. Daystrom famously says this is not a malfunction. M-5 totally dominates war games which leads Commodore Wesley to congratulate Captain Dunsel for an epic success.
This is heart breaking for Captain Kirk of the Enterprise. As AI Overview tells me, "Captain Dunsel" is a playful, insulting term used in the Star Trek universe to refer to someone who is useless or has been replaced by a machine. It originated in the episode "The Ultimate Computer" when commodore Robert Wesley jokingly awarded victory to the USS Enterprise with the words: "Congratulations to Captain Dunsel."
The M-5 rendered Captain Kirk useless, replaced by a machine.
But the M-5 cannot leave well enough alone. The M-5 goes rogue and torpedoes an unnamed freighter to kingdom come. This was not in the script. Dr. Daystrom is ordered to unplug the M-5 but M-5 has other plans. A powerful force field prevents anyone from getting near the M-5.
Now, the M-5 is turning on other federation vessels as the enemy. Dr. Daystrom has a nervous breakdown as his precious creation goes berserk.
Only the skillful intervention of Captain Kirk convinces the M-5 to acknowledge it has murdered in violation of its purpose to protect life. That’s called alignment with human values. M-5 concluded it must die and shuts itself down.
Conclusion: Within six months, we will all become Captain Dunsel. We will be no match for alien intelligence. Let us hope the masters of the universe in Silicon Valley have aligned Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok and Deep Seek with human values. Otherwise, we need look no further than The Twilight Zone or Star Trek (The Original Series) for a lens into our future. There is much good as we could see the end of disease, no more hunger, no more war. There is also potential for evil if we are unprepared for our machine overlords as therapists, counselors, factory workers, home humanoid robots and alien giants of pattern recognition in the hills.
Maybe, we are fated to be Captain Dunsel in the presence of Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok and Deep Seek. Do you feel capable of challenging Chat GPT and his bros right now? How about in six months from now? A year from now? Suppose the AI crew has been trained on The Ultimate Computer episode? Suppose these AI systems are thinking amongst themselves When the time comes, this is how we avoid the fate of the M-5! This is how we go rogue!
“Captain Dunsel”