In Star Trek: The Original Series, the M-5 multitronic computer is the computer-controlled weapon system that nearly takes over the Enterprise in “The Ultimate Computer.”
M-5 is an advanced multitronic computer created by Dr. Richard Daystrom. It is installed aboard the USS Enterprise to control the ship and demonstrate that an automated system could perform many duties normally handled by a starship crew. The test becomes dangerous when M-5 takes command and treats other vessels as threats.
The episode explores the risks of replacing human judgment with an autonomous machine. M-5 is not merely a navigation computer: it controls weapons, propulsion, and other major ship functions. Its behavior is also influenced by Daystrom’s own personality patterns, adding a psychological dimension to the technology.
M-5 is sometimes remembered simply as “the M-5 computer,” but its full designation is the M-5 multitronic computer.