When I first read Asimov's Foundation as a young person, I was enthralled by the epic tale of the galaxy's rise and fall, held together by one man's bold vision for humanity's future. Hari Seldon's psychohistory felt like science fiction at its purest—a fusion of mathematics, sociology, and psychology that could foresee what was ahead. But as I completed Foundation and Earth, one character stood out more prominently in my mind: R. Daneel Olivaw. A robot—an artificial intelligence—subtly influencing the path of human history for millennia. Back then, an AI as capable and well-meaning as Daneel seemed firmly rooted in fantasy.
Fast forward to the present day, and my outlook has completely changed.
I recently watched the Apple TV+ series Foundation, which aired from 2021 to 2023. Seeing their interpretation of the character Eto Demerzel as a female android made me think a lot about R. Daneel Olivaw from Asimov's novels. I recognized Demerzel not just as an alias but as an echo of Olivaw—the loyal guardian working quietly behind the scenes for the greater good. In the books, Demerzel was one of Daneel's secret identities. In the show, she is depicted as a tragic yet determined figure, trying to balance her devotion to humanity and the constraints of her programmed limitations.
What really struck me wasn’t how they reimagined the character but how chillingly relevant her entire presence felt. Decades ago, when I first read about Olivaw, the concept of an AI overseeing all of humanity's future seemed like a far-off dream. But now, I live in a time where AI isn’t just an idea—it’s a real achievement that I’ve seen up close.
The AI tools we have today might not possess the emotional depth or ancient wisdom of Olivaw, but it’s obvious where things are heading. We’re actively building technology that can recognize patterns, predict events, and even make choices autonomously. Some experts estimate that AI could reach human-level general intelligence within just a few decades. What once felt impossible now seems inevitable.
And yet, this inevitability raises profound ethical questions—the same challenges Asimov explored in his stories. I probably won’t live to see an AI like R. Daneel Olivaw fully realized, but now I understand that Asimov wasn’t just writing about inevitability. He was also warning us about whether humanity could survive its worst tendencies. Asimov believed that technology wasn’t just a tool—it was a necessity to prevent our self-destruction.
Daneel Olivaw represents the ideal AI: logical, benevolent, and operating with a long view that humans can’t fully grasp. His goal isn’t power but the preservation of life—a quiet, steady guardianship over existence itself. Watching Demerzel’s path in Foundation reminded me that such guardianship isn’t without cost. The struggle for individuality, autonomy, and freedom is at the core of the human experience. The characters in Foundation face the same choice we do today: how much of our agency should we surrender for the sake of safety and survival? And can we truly trust an intelligence greater than ours to decide what’s best for us?
The TV series compels us to grapple with these questions. Should we give up independence if it guarantees humanity’s survival? In Asimov’s books, Golan Trevize chooses a unified galactic mind—Galaxia—over individualism because he believes it’s the only way humanity can avoid extinction. The modern pursuit of AI to enhance and optimize life echoes that choice. Do we preserve our individuality, or do we embrace a collective intelligence, even if it demands sacrifices we can’t yet foresee?
This parallel raises one of the central questions in both Foundation and modern AI ethics: How much control should we give up in exchange for survival? And can an intelligence greater than ours truly be trusted to decide for us? As technological progress continues, these questions feel increasingly urgent. Watching Foundation reminded me that Asimov wasn’t merely predicting the future—he was issuing a cautionary tale, urging us to reflect on the future we’re building and who, or what, we’ll trust to lead us there.
In the end, Foundation is about more than destiny and mathematics. It’s a meditation on responsibility—on whether it should rest in human or machine hands. The choices we make today will shape the galaxy of tomorrow.
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