Dark Matter star Joel Edgerton has opened up about how season 2 of the show relates to fears about AI.

Last season saw physicist Jason (Edgerton) kidnapped by an alternate version of himself who was hellbent on stealing original Jason’s life.

While original Jason eventually reunited with his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley), this season sees them on the run again after facing down an army of Jasons.

But, at the centre of the whole show, is the box, which allows its user to travel inter-dimensionally, leading to it being used in lots of dubious ways – not least by Leighton Vance (Dayo Okeniyi), who is searching for the “perfect world” in season 2.

Speaking exclusively to Radio Times about what the series says about our fears around technology, Edgerton explained: “When we were reading season 2 and getting ready to make it, I could see this deeper level of conversation around AI looming, and this responsibility in terms of human beings, their brilliance and ability to create a technology and then just put it out into the world without being able to look into the future and seeing what the ramifications of whatever that technology is.

“That technology becomes, in my mind, relatively binary in that it can be used for good or for evil, and the box definitely has echoes of that, particularly now that we're about to release season 2; AI has become such a big part of the news cycle and our lives in general.

“There's a real kind of hope for the future, but also real fears around what that might mean to us as a civilisation.”

Dark Matter is based on the 2016 novel by Blake Crouch. While season 2 goes beyond the source material, Crouch is back on board as showrunner.

Season 2 also introduces new cast members, including Chris Diamantopoulos, who plays Agent Mitchel MaNamara.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.