Tech

‘neXT’ Is a New Show About Killer AI Rooted In Real-World Technology

neXT showrunner Manny Coto talks about the birth of the rogue AI at the heart of his new thriller.
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Artificial intelligence is here and it’s already disrupting our lives. Robots get smarter every day and it feels like we may live to see an AI that’s as smart as a human. But what will that AI want and how will it view the humans who created it?

A rogue AI with deadly intent is the subject of neXT, a new show airing on FOX this October. On this episode of Cyber, presented by FOX, I sat down with the show’s creator Manny Coto to talk about the inspiration for his killer AI.

Coto is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of 24. He’s also the executive producer of Dexter and Star Trek: Enterprise. His writing credits include American Horror Story, The Exorcist, The Outer Limits, Tales from the Crypt.

Coto’s history as a horror and science fiction writer is on display in NeXt. He got the idea for his show about a rogue AI when the Alexa’s in his home started to malfunction and call out in the middle of the night, a scary moment that reminded him of The Exorcist.