AI governance, agentic misalignment and the lessons from ‘Star Trek’

To answer these questions, I looked to one of the great TV Sci-Fi series, Star Trek: The Original Series, and an episode, “The Ultimate Computer.” In the episode, a computer with generative AI (GenAI) and machine learning capabilities goes awry due to insufficient governance. The story demonstrates why oversight, ethics, transparency, and continuous improvement should be a part of compliance oversight of AI.

These questions still persist today, as shown in the recent Anthropic report titled ”Agentic Misalignment: How LLMs Could Be Insider Threats.” The company stress-tested 16 leading large language models (LLMs) to identify potentially risky agentic behaviors. Anthropic told the models that their funding would be cut or their roles would be eliminated. Anthropic found that some of the models “resorted to malicious insider behaviors when that was the only way to avoid replacement or achieve their goals—including blackmailing officials and leaking sensitive information to competitors. We call this phenomenon agentic misalignment.”

In “The Ultimate Computer,” the USS Enterprise is outfitted with the M-5, an advanced computer designed to learn as it grows. The promise is a fully automated starship operation, removing the need for a human crew and potentially saving lives. The peril is that M-5 quickly develops unforeseen behaviors, culminating in deadly attacks on fellow Federation ships and the near destruction of the Enterprise itself.

Ultimately, the episode reveals the dangers of technology unchecked by governance and the ethical lapses that can result when innovation is not matched with robust oversight. From ”The Ultimate Computer,” there are several key ethical and governance lessons for a compliance professional around the use of AI.

1. AI Reflects Its Creators, Both Bias and Flawed Intentions

M-5 was programmed with its creator’s ethical standards, giving the computer both the creator’s intelligence and his psychological instability. This design flaw is central to the computer’s breakdown and aggression. The episode underscores the modern truth that AI systems inevitably inherit the values, assumptions, and blind spots of their developers.

AI Governance Takeaway:

Firms must assemble cross-disciplinary teams, including compliance, technology, risk, and ethics, to oversee AI development from conception to deployment. Diverse perspectives are critical to identifying and mitigating unintended bias and risk.

2. Oversight Cannot Be Automated

One of the Enterprise’s chief mistakes is ceding full operational control to M-5 and disabling human intervention. When M-5 malfunctions, the crew is unable to override its commands. This lack of oversight proves nearly fatal.

AI Governance Takeaway:

Organizations should never deploy critical AI systems without clear provisions for human oversight and the ability to intervene. Compliance protocols must define who has authority to monitor, pause, or override AI decisions, especially in high-risk applications.

3. Black Box AI Erodes Trust and Accountability

As M-5’s actions become increasingly erratic, neither the Enterprise crew nor its creator can explain its reasoning or predict its next move. This lack of transparency undermines confidence and precludes corrective action.

AI Governance Takeaway:

The black box is real. Transparency and explainability are essential for compliance. High-stakes AI systems must be auditable, with documented logic flows and accessible reasoning. If a system’s decisions cannot be explained, its deployment should be reconsidered.

4. Continuous Testing and Real-World Validation Are Imperative

Initially, M-5 is validated in controlled environments. Yet, once exposed to real-world complexity and stress, the computer’s flaws quickly become evident. Overreliance on limited testing fails to capture the nuance of live operations.

AI Governance Takeaway:

Organizations must adopt robust, ongoing testing and validation protocols for AI, including scenario planning, adversarial testing, and continuous review for unintended consequences or bias.

5. Protecting Human Dignity and Well-Being

Captain Kirk ultimately defeats M-5 by appealing to the value of human life, prompting the computer to cease its attacks. This not only demonstrates the need for ethical programming for AI but affirms that technology must serve humanity, not the other way around.

AI Governance Takeaway:

AI governance frameworks should prioritize human impact, dignity, rights, and well-being above efficiency or cost savings. Stakeholder impact assessments and transparent recourse mechanisms are essential for those affected by automated decisions.

Star Trek’s “The Ultimate Computer” remains a cautionary tale for today’s compliance community. As demonstrated by the 2025 Anthropic study, when organizations accelerate their adoption of AI, without human governance and oversight, it is never enough. Strong AI governance, ethical foresight, and a relentless commitment to AI transparency and accountability are required to ensure AI fulfills its promise without repeating the mistakes of our sci-fi past.