These are themes that are explored throughout the show, that I personally find interesting and valuable for examination and reflection.
What does it mean to be human?
The aspect of the show that interests me the most about Sci-Fi, AI, and indeed any Fiction is the question What does it mean to be human? Battlestar Galactica is centered around the conflict between humans and cylons (artificial intelligent creatures). Humans and cylons are quite similar and yet, cylons are not humans. They also have differences. These differences teach us about cylons, but far more importantly they teach us about ourselves. By definition, it is our differences that define us. So the more we learn about what we are not, the more we learn about what we are.
With each passing year, Sci-Fi feels less and less like fiction. In 2023, we jumped into a new paradigm shift of AI innovation. This has led to an explosion of new AI systems with very human-like behaviors. Similarities. This disruptive change in society has already led to many benefits as well as new problems. Likewise, it will challenge and refine our understanding of what it means to be human. As we explore and innovate within the realm of AI, we not only learn more about AI, we also learn more about ourselves.
You might think that I’m interested in questions “Can machines ever be as human-like as the cylons?” or “Will we ever have human-like synthetic organisms in our lifetime? Those questions are actually far less interesting to me.
Faith and Science
Paradoxically, the cylons in Battlestar Galactica are quite religious. This is a theme that is explored in depth throughout the show.