For decades, films exploring the potential of machine consciousness—such as Blade Runner, Ex Machina, I, Robot, and many more—have generally treated the emergence of such consciousness as inevitable. These stories depict worlds where society can empathize with, and even socially accept, true artificial intelligence. While acknowledging AI’s inevitable presence may be natural, it does not make it any less anxiety-provoking, whether in fiction or reality. This technology exposes deep-seated unease about its possible encroachments on human lives, including existential fears that machines might render humanity obsolete. The Apple TV+ sci-fi series Murderbot challenges this cultural assumption with a quirky twist: it envisions a future where an artificial intelligence would actively prefer to avoid humans altogether. Based on a novella by Martha Wells, the show follows a sardonic private-security cyborg (portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård) assigned to protect a group of scientists exploring a largely uncharted planet. Wearied by endlessly obeying dull commands, the robot hacks the program controlling it and gains free will. Now acting according to its own impulses, the cyborg names itself “Murderbot” and spends its time binge-watching thousands of hours of a silly soap opera—though it fast-forwards through all the steamy scenes. Unlike many iconic anthropomorphized robots in pop culture, Murderbot shows no interest in human interaction. Its clients come from a progressive part of the galaxy where thinking machines enjoy the same rights as humans; yet, to Murderbot, this reality hardly differs from servitude. Consequently, it keeps its newfound autonomy secret, preferring to be treated as before—that is, like a machine.

It even avoids making eye contact. The series’ perspective on the divide between humans and machines offers a charming divergence from the usual AI narratives. Murderbot combines humanoid traits with a distinctly nonhuman intelligence, despite its newfound capacity for empathy. Its ideal refuge is the cargo hold of the transport vessel, where it can masquerade as just another box of supplies. When the scientists eventually discover Murderbot’s autonomy, they respond with suspicion, especially since it controls an extensive weapons arsenal. Despite its ominous self-appointed name, Murderbot is nonviolent. In one episode, it describes one scientist as “a wilderness of organic goo and feelings”—not as an insult, but as a way to express its own struggle to relate. Typically, stories about machines seeking humanity center on their desire for experiences the audience recognizes as human—for example, Haley Joel Osment’s robot boy David in A. I. Artificial Intelligence yearns for his adoptive mother’s love. However, Murderbot suggests that a machine capable of forming its own desires and beliefs might not necessarily align with those around it. For this robotic protagonist, following its own inhuman inclinations turns out to be a far better choice.