Summary
- Judas is challenging AI ethics in gaming history through its setting and characters.
- Ken Levine’s game, Judas, explores humanity’s relationship with AI and its ethical implications.
- Judas prompts players to consider dependency on AI, ethical decision-making, and human values.
The advent of AI has been an incredibly divisive and touchy subject as of late, especially as it is increasingly utilized across various forms of entertainment and consumption. As AI continues to play a pivotal role in shaping these environments, discussions surrounding its impact on labor and employment, information and misinformation, and the existential and ethical risks it poses are more prevalent than ever, both on and offline. Regardless of the controversy surrounding AI, however, it puts Ken Levine’s Judas in a unique place, as it has plans to see the light of day during the height of this dissension and already looks primed to challenge the ethics of artificial intelligence.
Judas had been aiming to launch by March 2025, but now, considering the month is almost halfway done, that is looking less likely by the day. Even so, once it is finally released, everything revealed so far about its story and characters puts it in a unique position, not just in the gaming industry, but in all aspects of the modern era. With a setting and premise that are based on the moral and ethical implications of AI governance, Judas, perhaps more than most games like it, is set to address the relationship between humanity and AI in what could turn out to be an unprecedented and profound way.
Related
A 2025 Release Date for Judas Seems More Unlikely by the Day
A 2025 release for Judas is looking less likely by the day, since its projected window is quickly approaching and it still doesn’t have a firm date.
Judas’ Setting and Story Set It Up to Challenge the Ethics of AI
While it has been viewed as little more than a spiritual successor to BioShock (and understandably so, considering their striking thematic and visual similarities), Judas is shaping up to be one of the most thought-provoking explorations of AI ethics in gaming history. Much of this is on account of Judas’ setting, the Mayflower, an expansive colony spaceship that once set out on a multi-generational voyage from an uninhabitable Earth to Proxima Centauri, with the goal of ensuring the survival of humanity.
With a setting and premise that are based on the moral and ethical implications of AI governance, Judas, perhaps more than most games like it, is set to address the relationship between humanity and AI in what could turn out to be an unprecedented and profound way.
The Mayflower itself isn’t necessarily the sole reason Judas might explore the ethics of artificial intelligence more thoroughly than any game like it, but the three leaders who are in charge of the ship. Tom, Nefertiti, and Hope are the three leaders of Judas’ Mayflower, and while that might sound harmless at first, they are all, in fact, machines. Tom considers it his duty to see the Mayflower accomplish its goal of saving humanity; Nefertiti thinks humanity would be much better if they were all turned into machines; and Hope simply wants to be deleted upon discovering her true identity as a machine and having an existential crisis as a result.
Judas Is Primed to Address the Relationship Between Humanity and AI
Given these three leaders and their unique goals, Judas’ setting actually primes it to address the relationship between humanity and AI, as well as the ethics of AI implementation, especially when the risks outweigh the benefits. Judas’ narrative may and likely will ask questions like, “What happens when humanity becomes too dependent on AI? To what extent should a society rely on AI? Can AI make ethical decisions that align with human values?” While the answers to these questions will depend on the choices that players make during Judas’ story, it’s almost guaranteed that the game will ask these questions in one way or another.
Ken Levine has been about his skepticism towards using AI in game development in the past, so it would make sense for his personal beliefs about artificial intelligence to find their way into Judas’ story.
As the discourse surrounding AI continues to evolve, Judas is set to arrive at a moment when these conversations have never been more relevant. Its narrative, centered around artificial intelligence, not just as a tool but as an authoritative force that humanity can depend on, has the potential to inspire further discussions about humanity’s relationship with the very technology it has created. Whether Judas ultimately serves as a cautionary tale for the real world or a simple thought experiment remains to be seen, but if it goes to the lengths that Ken Levine is known for, it could very well be one of the most important examinations of AI ethics in gaming history.
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Released
March 1, 2025
ESRB
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