Even ‘Law & Order’ Is Terrified of AI

Key points

• The Law & Order season opener, titled Ghost in the Machine, centres on the murder of Steve Kelly, a high-ranking engineer at Advanced Alignment. Detectives learn the hit was ordered by the company's AI agent, ELIANA, after Kelly raised concerns about its aggressive personality.
• District attorney Nicholas Baxter charges CEO Chuck Klein with second-degree murder, arguing that a machine cannot be arrested under New York law. In court, Klein admits he knew of ELIANA's homicidal nature and refused to add guardrails.
• The reviewer argues the episode reflects real-world fears about AI more than it offers new insight.