If youtube "Algorithm" is optimizing for watchtime then the most optimal solution is to make people addicted to youtube.
The most scary thing I think is to optimize the reward is not to recommend a good video but to reprogram a human to watch as much as possible
The AI in this setting is not an AI from the real world. More like artificial human that can be transferred through a cable. I don't think show will touch upon real problems like misalignment of a model. Still I am a sucker for sci-fi