Pantheon : A review

on Uploaded Intelligence

Pantheon - A review by Magicthreadworks

Pantheon is an animated series based on short stories by Ken Liu. With artificial intelligence evolving with such a high pace and AGI being almost a reality — it’s most obvious for science fiction to move forward and explore more future constructs. Uploaded Intelligence is the primary one where Human intelligence will be uploaded in the cloud and we will be able to survive, even after death, as a computer code without the restriction of our bodies, with just pure intelligence.

This concept is not very new and has been explored in earlier shows and books. The series “Upload” is what comes to the top of my mind here, which might be the phase one of this experiment where please who were close to death were uploaded and could live in a simulation if they pay for the server costs. Based on their payments they were allowed to use certain features.

Pantheon took it to another level though, where upload intelligence had autonomy on the cloud and could write their own code. It also explores some fascinating concepts of Deep Time, Created Intelligence — one which is created by uploaded intelligence and stimulated universes. There are two seasons. The major conflict of the first season is between countries trying to dominate the UI warfare. In the second season it becomes a conflict between UIs and Humans.

A fascinating watch indeed, where it failed for me as a thought experiment was when even after years of evolution UIs lived with individual identities and agendas. In my mind the evolution of intelligence will seek singularity — where all intelligence becomes one and acts as an individual body rather than still separate identities. Yes, it can manifest as an identity of choice to speak to a human when required but at the end of it process the collective information and act in tandem.

The need to advance, assert a unique identity and want to live forever is purely human. The goal of an advanced intelligence will be to evolve at the fastest pace possible, identity and longevity might not be part of it at all.

Then that’s just me, being human everyone has the right to their own point view and how they want the stories to unfold.